Elementary School Students’ Intimate Relationships: A Rational Choice Theory Perspective

Abstract

Guided by Coleman’s Rational Choice Theory, this study investigates the motives and decision‐making mechanisms underlying elementary school students’ formation of intimate peer relationships. Rational Choice Theory posits that individuals decide among alternative actions by evaluating expected costs and benefits. Within this framework, children’s choices about close relationships reflect not only the pursuit of emotional gratification but also considerations of interactional costs, anticipated social returns, and prevailing social norms. As elementary students are in a pivotal stage of psychological and social development, intimate ties function both as sources of emotional support and as platforms for social recognition and the cultivation of future interpersonal competencies. Understanding how children make friendship choices through rational deliberation is therefore crucial for promoting their socialization.