In the 70s, relationship research in the field of psychology focused mainly on the study of emotional bonds between people. Researchers reduced the role of children's friendship to the question of what makes them feel attracted to each other? Understanding the phenomenon of friendship in the context of psychology was very limited. In 1975, Brian Bigelow and John La Gaipa researched changes in the way children perceive and define friendship depending on their age and stage of development. This essay will evaluate the usefulness of their findings and its further influence on the process of shaping the understanding of children's friendships. Initially , Bigelow and La Gaipa 's intention was to explore the differences in children's expectations towards their best friends at different stages of development. Researchers were particularly interested in exploring changes in the perception of friendships that occur as the children grow up. Equally, their innovative re...