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Relations of Gender, Gender-Related Personality Characteristics, and Dating Status to Adolescents’ Cross-Sex Friendship Quality

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Abstract

This study examined how gender, instrumentality, expressivity and dating status were associated with adolescents’ perceived cross-sex friendship quality. Two hundred sixty-two Hong Kong Chinese heterosexual teenagers (117 males, 145 females) aged 14 to 18 rated the levels of companionship, closeness, help, security and conflict in their best cross-sex friendships. Results showed that girls perceived more help but also more conflicts. Instrumentality and expressivity were consistent correlates of closeness and security, but they predicted other features differently in the two genders. Daters reported higher levels of companionship, closeness and help. Dating girls, in particular, perceived these friendships as involving the highest levels of security. These results provide some support for social role theory and interdependency across adolescents’ social relationships.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, HKSAR, China

    Sum Kwing Cheung & Catherine McBride-Chang

  2. Early Childhood and Elementary Education Division, School of Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, HKSAR, China

    Sum Kwing Cheung

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  1. Sum Kwing Cheung
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  2. Catherine McBride-Chang
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Correspondence to Sum Kwing Cheung.

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Cheung, S.K., McBride-Chang, C. Relations of Gender, Gender-Related Personality Characteristics, and Dating Status to Adolescents’ Cross-Sex Friendship Quality. Sex Roles 64, 59–69 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-010-9880-5

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