Trust in Friends and School Adjustment of Junior High School Students

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between students' trust in their friends and their school adjustment. Junior high school students (N=563) completed a questionnaire. The results were as follows: First, exploratory factor analysis of the scale for students' trust in their friends revealed 3 factors: “sense of security in friends,” “distrust toward friends,” and “sense of dependability toward friends.” Second, the scores on “sense of security in friends,” “distrust toward friends,” and “sense of dependability toward friends” were significantly different according to the students' grade level and students' gender. Finally, students' trust in their friends was correlated with their school adjustment, and the correlation differed according to the students' grade level and students' gender.