CrossSex Friendship Survey

1
Cross-Sex Friendship Survey
2
What does it mean to be a friend?

• Friendships consist of non kin peer
  relationships that are voluntary and are
  characterized by relatively high levels of
  emotional (but not physical) intimacy.

3
Why do people seek friendships with someone of
the opposite sex?(Rawlins, 1993)

• In general, to see the world from the perspective
  of the opposite sex
• For women, to enjoy nice guy companionship
• For men, to explore the potential for
  sexual/romantic involvement

4
OMearas Challenges(Sex Roles, 1989)

• Emotional bond challengeit can be confusing to
  feel close to CSFs without also feeling romantic
  toward them
• Sexual challenge the sex thing gets in the way
  (When Harry Met Sally principle)

5
How do you know if your CSF is your friend?

• Social exchange approach
• What is CSF willing to invest in the friendship?
• What is CSF willing to invest given a choice?
• Is your CSF concerned about equity (i.e., over
  benefiting or under benefiting)?

6
Cross Sex Friendship Survey

• Investmentemotional support and positivity,
  relationship talk, instrumental support, and
  social networking
• Choicestrictly platonic, potential for romance,
  friends with benefits
• EquityI get more, CSF gets more, or CSF and I
  get the same

7
Guerrero Chavezs Research(Western Journal of
Communication, 2005)

• Social networking only maintenance behavior that
  produced gender differences
• Men were equally likely to include their strictly
  platonic and potentially romantic CSFs in their
  social network
• Women were more likely to include their strictly
  platonic CSFs in their social network than their
  potentially romantic CSFs

8
Emotional support and positivity

• How likely are you to act cheerful and positive?
• How likely are you to listen to problems?

9
Emotional support and positivityYour responses

• For Men
• Strictly platonic
• M 6.24 5.94
• Potential romance
• M 5.47 6.06
• Friends with benefits
• M 6.06 5.47

• For Women
• Strictly platonic
• M 6.44 6.65
• Potential romance
• M 5.60 5.98
• Friends with benefits
• M 5.36 5.95

10
Relationship talk

• How likely are you to attempt to talk about the
  quality of your relationship?
• How likely are you to talk about what you want
  from your friendship?

11
Relationship TalkYour responses

• For Men
• Strictly platonic
• M 5.47 4.88
• Potential romance
• M 5.29 5.47
• Friends with benefits
• M 4.65 4.59

• For Women
• Strictly platonic
• M 5.49 4.37
• Potential romance
• M 4.70 4.91
• Friends with benefits
• M 4.83 5.00

12
Instrumental support

• How likely are you to give advice?
• How likely are you to be available to do a favor?

13
Instrumental SupportYour responses

• For Men
• Strictly platonic
• M 6.47 6.00
• Potential romance
• M 6.11 6.00
• Friends with benefits
• M 5.88 5.53

• For Women
• Strictly platonic
• M 6.74 6.53
• Potential romance
• M 5.79 5.72
• Friends with benefits
• M 5.26 5.26

14
Social networking

• How likely are you to be willing to do things
  with CSFs circle of friends?
• How likely are you to include common friends in
  your activities with CSF?

15
Social NetworkingYour responses

• For Men
• Strictly platonic
• M 5.71 6.41
• Potential romance
• M 5.47 5.94
• Friends with benefits
• M 4.76 4.82

• For Women
• Strictly platonic
• M 6.51 6.79
• Potential romance
• M 5.72 5.70
• Friends with benefits
• M 5.40 5.07

16
What do these trends say about YOUR class?

• Male classmates more likely to invest in
• No sex CFSs
• Possible sex CFSs
• Only sex CFSs

• Female classmates more likely to invest in
• No sex CFSs
• Possible sex CFSs
• Only sex CFSs

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What about equity?

• Male classmates
• Benefit the same as no sex CSFs
• Benefit LESS than possible sex CSFs
• Benefit the same as sex only CSFs

• Female classmates
• Benefit the same as no sex CSFs
• Benefit MORE than possible sex CSFs
• Benefit the same as sex only CSFs