Adolescents' relationships with father, mother, and same-gender friend

Examined in this study were age differences in autonomy and relatedness in adolescents' relationships with parents as well as the association between adolescents' relationships with mother and with father and with a same-gender friend. The Relationship with Father/Mother Questionnaire (RFMQ) and the Sharabany Intimacy Scale were administered to 205 Israeli adolescents (105 males and 100 females) from two age groups: 9th grade (age X = 14.5) and 12th grade (age X = 17.5). Older adolescents reported more autonomy in their relationships with parents than did younger adolescents, but no age differences were found in closeness and warmth. On the basis of a cluster analysis of the RFMQ, it was found that adolescents who reported an Ideal profile of relationships with their parents and those reporting a Cold and Controlling profile of relationships with them were alike in having higher intimacy with their best friend compared with other groups of adolescents.