Youth & Society 45(1) 98–116 © The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0044118X11409068 yas.sagepub.com 409068YAS 45 1 10.1177/0044118X11 409068Pryce and KellerYouth & Society © The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav 1 Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA 2 Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA Corresponding Author: Julia M. Pryce, School of Social Work, Loyola University, Chicago Email: jpryce@luc.edu Interpersonal Tone Within School-Based Youth Mentoring Relationships Julia M. Pryce 1 , and Thomas E. Keller, Ph.D. 2 Abstract This prospective, mixed-method study presents an in-depth view of school- based youth mentoring relationships using qualitative data from direct obser- vations, in-depth interviews, and open-ended questionnaires with mentors and students.The dimension of interpersonal tone, referring to the interaction style between adult mentor and student, was investigated using a pattern-oriented approach. The analyses identify four distinctive patterns of interpersonal tone and categorize mentor–student relationships according to systematic varia- tion on this dimension. The study integrates quantitative assessments of relationship quality to corroborate and supplement these inductively derived categories. Findings reveal meaningful distinctions in the nature and quality of mentoring relationships and suggest implications for the supports programs might offer to promote positive relationships. Keywords qualitative methods, role models/mentors, school-based programs Youth mentoring programs appeal to a basic understanding that children learn about themselves and their worlds in the context of relationships with at LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO on September 9, 2015 yas.sagepub.com Downloaded from