How Scientists Spot a Friend: teacher key

Friendship, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. Puppets, sticker games and long studies each show something about friendship. Here is what researchers found, from babies to adults.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. In the puppet experiment, which character did almost all the infants prefer?
   • The one who helped a puppet like them (answer)
   • The one who ate the most
   • The one who sat alone
2. When do researchers count a friendship as reciprocated?
   • When a teacher says so
   • When two children each name the other as a friend (answer)
   • When they sit together once
3. What does the experiment with two adults eating suggest about babies?
   • Babies like crackers best
   • Babies expect people with similar tastes to be friends (answer)
   • Babies cannot see adults
4. According to the circles of friends, how many people are in the closest circle?
   • About 5 (answer)
   • About 50
   • About 150
5. What does voluntary mean for friendships?
   • Chosen, not given by family (answer)
   • Paid for
   • Required at school

Words

• reciprocated: returned by both
• loyalty: sticking by someone
• voluntary: by choice
• constructively: helpfully
• primates: monkeys, apes, people