FRIENDSHIP QUALITY MODEL AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS

The purpose of this study was to construct and validate a Friendship Quality Model in college students.
Specifically, it was designed to find out the dimensions and indicators of quality friendship and to develop a
measure of friendship quality, and to test the reliability and validity of the proposed model. The study employed
a quantitative research design with 300 college students from the University of Southeastern Philippines –
Mintal Campus using convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using a five-point Likert scale
structured questionnaire which had 40 items. For data analyses and model validation, Exploratory Factor
Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used. Findings revealed five major dimensions
of friendship quality: (1) Trust, Support, and Collaborative Friendship; (2) Security, Respect, and Mutual Care
in Friendship; (3) Reliability and Conflict Resolution; (4) Open Communication and Emotional Disclosure; and
(5) Conflict and Communication Strain. The results of EFA showed that the total variance of the extracted
factors was 56.57% and CFA results showed that the two-factor model that had the best fit was "Trust, Support,
Collaborative Friendship and Security", and "Respect, Mutual Care in Friendship". Goodness-of-fit indices
indicated that the final model demonstrated excellent fit and reliability. The study concluded that friendship
quality among college students is strongly influenced by trust, emotional support, respect, communication, and
mutual care. The developed framework and instrument may serve as useful tools for educators, counselors, and
researchers in promoting students’ social and emotional well-being within higher education institutions.