Although much attention has been devoted to the study of social competence in the past decade, few researchers have examined the adolescent age group. These two studies examined what behaviors are important for positive peer relations in adolescence. In the first study 1,142 ninth-graders (577 males, M age=14.78; 565 females, M age=14.61) from 7 public junior high schools completed a questionnaire which asked them to select the three same-gender classmates whom they liked the most and the three they liked the least from an attached roster of all same-gender ninth-graders. Students were also asked to write down reasons for each nomination. Cooperativeness, initiation of activities, enjoying jokes, sharing common activities and interests, loyalty, friendliness, and support were all related to positive peer relationships in adolescence. In the second study ninth-graders (N=1,142) from seven public junior high schools completed questionnaires assessing an adolescent's social skills and a student's level of peer acceptance and the presence of reciprocal friendships. Analysis suggested that the behaviors important for having reciprocal friendships are different from those important for overall peer acceptance or popularity. It is possible that the behavioral differences found for reciprocal friendship and social preference in this study represent contextual differences. It will be important for future research to examine the qualitative aspects of interaction patterns over time. (ABL)