Experiences of dyadic sport friendships as a function of self and partner attachment characteristics.

Objectives: To examine the link between adolescent-parent attachment relationships and experiences of friendship quality in the context of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model.
Design and method: One hundred and ninety three male adolescents involved in team sports completed self-report assessments of relationship security with a key parental attachment figure and of the nature of their friendship with a nominated sporting best friend. In 40 reciprocal best friend dyads friendship quality perceptions were examined as a consequence of attachment characteristics of both the self and one’s best friend.
Results:Results provided evidence that the nature of the adolescent-parent attachment relationship was significantly related to sporting friendship experiences. More secure adolescent-parent attachment characteristics corresponded to more positive sporting friendships. Furthermore, adolescents’ perceptions of the quality of dyadic sporting friendships were apparently constructed not only as a function of their own attachment characteristics but also of the attachment characteristics of their best friend.
Conclusion: There is a suggestion that adolescent perceptions of dyadic sporting friendships are constructed as a consequence of both actor and partner attachment characteristics.