Professor
Ph.D., University of Denver, 1983
Child and Adolescent Social Relationships

Email: buhrmest@utdallas.edu
Phone: 972-883-2352
Office: GR 4.532

Careers in Psychology Website

About Duane Buhrmester

I was trained as a Developmental Psychologist at the University of Denver, receiving my Ph.D. in 1983. My program of research examines social development during middle childhood and adolescence, and has encompassed four interrelated strands focusing on intimate friendships, support networks, sibling relationships, and hyperactive boys' social problems. Each strand has examined how personal relationships influence the developing child, and how, in turn, the capacities of the child influence the quality of his or her relationships. At the heart of my conceptual approach are questions about the functional significance of different types of relationships: What impact do different relationships have on the child's current adjustment? And which relationship experiences shape the child's capacities to competently build relationships in the future? In addressing the first of these questions, I have drawn on H. S. Sullivan's and Robert Weiss' theories of social needs and social provisions, respectively, in conceptualizing the influence that relationships have on children's current adjustment. Briefly, certain social provisions are thought to promote children's well being (e.g., companionship, intimate attachment, and emotional support). If a child's network of relationships fails to supply these provisions, then the needs go unfulfilled and the child experiences emotional distress (e.g., loneliness, depression, anxiety, and hostility), which can, in turn, prompt the child to adopt dysfunctional patterns of coping. Not every type of relationship is depended upon to meet all social needs, but rather network members play specialized roles in satisfying needs. Thus, one indication of the impact of a relationship on adjustment is the extent to which it, in comparison to other relationships, is depended upon to meet particular needs.

My functional approach also examines how relationship experiences act to shape a child's capacity for future relationships. Being able to successfully establish and maintain close relationships demands that children acquire certain interpersonal competencies. Certain types of positive social experiences are hypothesized to provide the learning context in which these competencies are mastered (e.g., a history of open and supportive interactions is needed to master the competencies called for in mature intimate relationships). Moreover, there are recursive causal pathways between relationships and competence: A certain level of competence is necessary in order to forge relationships that provide the positive interactions that promote the growth of even more mature forms of competence. Thus, in addition to their role in need fulfillment, the functional significance of relationships are also reflected in how great a role they play in shaping interpersonal competencies.

My work incorporates this functional perspective within a developmental framework that focuses on the transition period from middle childhood to late adolescence. One of my main contentions is that during early adolescence, teenagers become preoccupied with a set of interpersonal issues that give rise to a fundamental reorganization of the functional structure of their social networks. This set of issues includes an increased desire for autonomy from parents, coupled with an increased desire for intimacy in peer relationships. Several of my studies, including an ongoing 6‑year longitudinal study funded by NICHD, have delineated how this reorganization affects the ways social needs are fulfilled, and how it changes the relative impact of relationships on adjustment. Friendships, in particular, become more intimate and supportive during adolescence. Several of my studies have examined how these changes in friendship require that teenagers master a number of adult‑like interpersonal competencies that are called for in mature intimate relationships.

Research Interests

My current work focuses on a longitudinal study that tracks experiences in close friendships and family relationships as children progress from the 6th to 12th grade. The aims of the study are to identify the qualities of family and peer relationships that shape the development of the social skills and to examine the changing impact that parents and peers have on adjustment.

Recent Publications

Jenkins, S.R., Goodness, K., and Buhrmester, D. (2002). Gender differences in early adolescent's relationship qualities, self-efficacy, and depression symptoms. Journal of Early Adolescence, 22, 277-309.

French, D.C., Rianasari, M., Pidada, S., Nelwan, P., and Buhrmester, D. (2001). Social support of Indonesian and U.S. children and adolescents by family members and friends. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 47, 377-394.

Hibbard, D. and Buhrmester, D. (1998). The role of peers in the socialization of gender-related social interaction style. Sex Roles, 39, 185-202.