Final answer:
Friendships during middle childhood are more centered on play and shared activities, while during adolescence they take on more complex roles in emotional support, identity formation, and socialization beyond the family, indicating the statement is false.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that friendships serve the same function during middle childhood and adolescence is false. During middle childhood, peer friendships mostly revolve around play, shared activities, and beginning to navigate social structures, such as cooperating in sports or other group activities. As children transition into adolescence, friendships often become more complex and central to their social and emotional development. Adolescents may seek emotional support from peers, challenge personal beliefs and prejudices within their social networks, and start to form intimate relationships. These friendships are critical in helping them develop an identity separate from their parents and to gain socialization experiences outside the family unit.