Friendship is an extremely significant and
meaningful relationship for women of all ages, yet
little research has been conducted on the friendships of
adult women. Recent research indicates that aspects of
friendship change as people progress through their adult
years and take on family and work roles, but previous
studies...
The goal of this research was (1) to identify the patterns or pattern pieces of
development for heterosexual, dyadic, romantic relationships that emerge from
mixed-sex, friendship groups and (2) to compare and contrast those patterns or
pattern pieces to patterns in existing stage theories. To address these goals, data
were...
This study focused on perceptions of close friendship across gender groups in two national cultures. Four groups: a U.S.
American male group, a U.S. American female group, a Japanese male group, and a Japanese female group, were studied. Cultural value differences in individualism and collectivism, "doing" and "being" orientations, masculine...
Traditional studies of parent-child relationships have focused on
the influence of parental characteristics on various behavioral,
social, and personality outcomes in children. During the past decade,
social scientists have suggested that other influences of the social
worlds of individuals be studied. As a result, the parent-child
system is being studied...
One's ability to determine the cause and effect nature events is important for navigating within the social realm. However, the ability to determine these relationships is not always as clear. According to Weary and Edwards (1996) causal uncertainty (CU) is the result of an individual perceiving themselves as someone who...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the change in gay/lesbian friendships after
the disclosure of their sexual identity. Six specific areas were examined: (1) what are the
circumstances under which persons find out their close friends are gay/lesbian (hereafter
referred to as the event), (2) do relationships change...
Friends benefit both our psychological and our emotional well-being by increasing overall happiness, life satisfaction, and a positive sense of self among women. Often, however, friendships decrease in the later years. The purpose of this study is to learn more about divorced or widowed, retired women and their friendships, specifically,...
Adult development and social experiences are intertwined, which has implications for social policy, health, and well-being across the lifespan. This dissertation explores the benefit and risk that close social partners bring to adults' lives, and the efficacy and consequences of engaging social resources to maintain well-being in the face of...