The sequence of cognitive distortions in the process of choosing friends by adolescents

Friendship is an essential source of joy and support [14]. A study found that more than a third (36%) of young people believe friendship is the most intimate relationship. The form of friendship varies depending on social environment, closeness, age, and gender.

Individuals generally go through several stages of friendship development [10]:

• 1.    Good Times-Cooperation Stage: before age 10, friendships are characterized by "sharing happiness but not sharing adversity."

• 2.    Intimacy-Shared Stage: ages 10-12, children realize friendship is based on mutual cooperation and shared experiences [11].

• 3.    Autonomous Interdependence Stage: ages 13-19, adolescents reach the final stage of friendship development [15].

As we grow, friendship characteristics and our understanding mature. Adolescents recognize that not all friendships meet emotional needs and that friendships are dynamic, changing alongside personal development [8]. Cognitive distor-tions—biases about oneself and the world – also affect this process, as individuals consolidate irrational thoughts over time [1].

These subtle distorted thought patterns are challenging to identify and change, which can be harmful [16]. During adolescence, friend selection is influenced by cognitive abilities, and cognitive biases can impact coping mechanisms.

Thus, the health of adolescent friendships often depends on personal cognition [13].

Adolescents rejected by peers may face difficulties like school dropout, juvenile delinquency, and psychological maladjustment [12]. However, it remains unclear whether these issues stem from rejection or from cognitive problems that lead to rejection [6]. Understanding cognitive distortions in friendship can help guide adolescents’ communication skills, improve peer acceptance, and foster healthy development [7].

Many struggle to acknowledge their distorted thinking patterns, believing: "I cannot adhere to any false beliefs!" While most people experience cognitive distortions, no one is entirely free from them [2]. The key difference between occasional and chronic sufferers of cognitive distortions is the ability to recognize and correct these faulty thought patterns.

Cognitive distortions may take many forms, but they all share some common characteristics [9]:

• 1.    Rigid thought patterns

• 2.    Inaccurate predictions

• 3.    Negative impact on mental health

Forms of cognitive distortions found in David Burns' book “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy” [4]:

• 1.    “All or nothing” thinking

• 2.    Generalization from one instance

• 3.    Selective attention

• 4.    Underestimating positive information

• 5.    Mind reading

• 6.    Predicting the future

• 7.    Exaggeration (catastrophizing) or belittling

• 8.    Emotional reasoning

• 9.    "Should" statements

• 10.    Labeling or mislabeling

• 11.    Personalization and undue responsibility

  In addition to these distortions, Beck (1986) and Burns (1980) identify several others:

• 12.    Control Fallacy

• 13.    Fairness Fallacy

• 14.    Change Fallacy

• 15.    “I’m always right”

• 16.    “God’s Reward” Fallacy – the belief that efforts will be rewarded

Adolescents undergo rapid psychological and behavioral changes, leading to many challenges during socialization, often referred to as the "psychological storm stage" [5]. Their developmental crisis is mainly linked to self-concept and identity. A deep self-understanding aids in forming values and personal life philosophy, providing direction and goals to avoid confusion. Adolescents exhibit different characteristics in interpersonal communication and establish new relationship models. The main features of adolescent communication are [3].

• 1.    Transitioning from childishness to maturity, creating a psychological "tendency to leave home."

• 2.    Physiological development peaks; sexual function matures, and sexual awareness awakens.

• 3.    Intellectual activities reach a turning point, with abstract logical thinking becoming predominant.

• 4.    Emotional development leads to greater sensitivity, mood swings, and contradictions between psychological closure and openness.

• 5.    Emergence of a "sense of adulthood" alongside the semi-mature status quo (Moscoso, Jovanovic, & Rojnic, 2015).

Methodology

• 1.    Research Design

The study employs a mixed methods approach, conducted in three middle schools in Jinhua City, China: High School Affiliated to Zhejiang Normal University, Yiwu International Academy, and Jinhua Foreign Language School.

• 1.1.    Qualitative Analysis:

• 1.    Review of literature on cognitive distortions and adolescents' friendship selection disorder over the past 20 years.

• 2.    Observations and interviews with adolescent participants and their schools.

• 3.    Literature analysis of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to assess its effectiveness in improving cognitive distortions and friendship difficulties.

• 1.2.    Quantitative Analysis (SPSS IBM 2019):

• 1.    Perform descriptive analysis of the Cognitive Distortion Questionnaire to identify the severity and consistency of various cognitive distortions.

• 2.    Conduct descriptive analysis of three questionnaires (Peer Relations Scale, Friendship Quality Questionnaire-Revised (FQQ-R), and Friendship Quality Scale (FQS)) to evaluate consistency in adolescents’ friendship needs.

• 3.    Execute correlation and regression analyses on the Peer Relations Scale, FQQ-R, FQS, and Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire to determine the impact of cognitive distortions on friend selection.

• 2.    Participant Selection Process

The experiment will be conducted in three middle schools: Zhejiang Normal University Affiliated Middle School (1,012 students), Yiwu International College (804 students), and Jinhua Foreign Languages School (1,158 students). For the sample survey on the consistency of cognitive distortions in friendship-making, simple random sampling will determine a sample size of at least 385, assuming a 95% confidence level (z), a 50% consistency in cognitive distortions (p), and an acceptable accuracy level of 0.05 (d). The targeted sample sizes based on current student data are 131 from Zhejiang Normal, 104 from Yiwu International, and 150 from Jinhua Foreign Languages School.

• 1.    Measurements

  • 1.1.    The Peer Relationship Scale

    The Peer Relationship Scale consists of 10 items derived from the Children’s Loneliness Scale by Asher et al. (1984). It tests three dimensions: welcome, rejection, and loneliness in friendships formed in school. Questions 1, 3, 4, 5, and 15 reflect welcome; questions 6, 7, 8, 12, and 14 reflect rejection; and questions 2, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 16 reflect loneliness. The scale uses a four-level rating system (1 "completely con-

• sistent" to 4 "completely inconsistent"), with 10 items scored in reverse. A higher score indicates better peer relationships.

• 1.2.    Friendship Quality Questionnaire-Revised (FQQ-R)

• 1.3.    Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS)

The FQS comprises 23 statements about a child's relationship with their best friend (Bukowski, Hoza, & Boivin, 1994). It measures five dimensions of friendship quality: Companionship (four items); Conflict (four items); Help (five items); Security (five items); and Closeness (five items). Respondents rate each statement on a 5-point scale from ‘not at all true’ (1) to ‘really true’ (5).

• 1.4.    The Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (CD-Quest)

The CD-Quest (de Oliveira, 2015; Morrison et al., 2015) is a 15-item questionnaire assessing common cognitive distortions experienced in the past week. Each item includes a type of distorted thinking, an explanation, and examples. Respondents indicate the frequency and intensity of these distortions in the past week. Frequency options include: No (not happening), Occasionally (1-2 days), Most of the time (3-5 days), and Nearly all the time (6-7 days). Intensity options are “A little (up to 30%),” “A lot (31-70%),” and “Very much (over 70%).” The responses create scores for frequency, intensity, and a total score.

Interviews and observations were mainly conducted online with experimental participants aged 13 to 17 years, including the following stages:

The First Stage:

• 1.    Clarify the voluntariness of research participation and obtain consent from parents and schools.

• 2.    Confirm the practical significance of the research and understand the difficulties faced by teenagers in choosing friends.

• 3.    Observe the mental outlook of the participants at the beginning of the experiment and emphasize the authenticity requirements of the study.

• 4.    Clarify how to fill in the questionnaire and ensure data availability.

• 5.    Listen to participants’ feelings, gains, and emotions.

• 6.    Observe how participants’ attitudes toward friendship develop and fluctuate throughout the study.

• 7.    Express gratitude to participants and the homeschool community.

The Second Stage:

The Third Stage:

Conclusion

This study illustrates that adolescence is a crucial period for developing independence and peer friendships, resulting in essential interpersonal skills. While society often focuses on physical changes, rebellion, self-harm, and other behaviors during this stage, this research delves into cognitive distortions related to adolescents' dating behavior. Through extensive literature analysis and questionnaire data, it established a connection between cognitive distortions and friendship dynamics among adolescents.

The findings highlight a significant concentration of cognitive distortions across various dimensions, underscoring the need for increased awareness in this area. The study also addresses methods to improve cognitive distortions, indicating that cognitive behavioral therapy may be effective. However, its impact on adolescents' friendship issues requires further investigation. Given that communication skills and friendship choices vary among teenagers, future research should aim to develop effective strategies for guiding adolescents in managing interpersonal relationships and enhancing their social skills, thus alleviating psychological distress related to social interactions. This is a matter of shared concern for society.