Cross Sex Friendship Research Paper

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Recommended: Gender differences in relationships

Can men and women just be friends?

According to the evolutionary theory, men perceive cross sex friendships as more beneficial than women do (Belske & Buss, 2000). This is due men wanting to produce an offspring therefore the more frequent partners they have the more likely it is for them to pass on their genes. Consequently when they go out to look for female friends, they more focus on finding a potential mating partner rather than just a platonic friendship (just friends) thus attraction is a very important factor when initiating a potential friendship. Yet it is this attraction that one has towards their other cross friend which causes them to feel that the relationship between the two is now ruined. Women on the other hand prefer male as friends for protection, therefore see their friendship more of a cost if they were to be attracted to them. This therefore suggest that to answer this question, has clear gender differences.
Male and female also makes sexual jokes towards each other (Fuiman, 1997) and still remain good friends. Also claimed that they both male and female prefer to have the opposite sex as a close friend as it enables them to hear their perspective on relationships or finding a potential partner and even helping in understanding each other’s behaviours.
According to research on cross sex friendships, one would argue that it is difficult for men and women to be friends. Werking (1997) claimed that when cross sex friends are in a platonic relationship (Just friends) and engage in sexual activities automatically transfers from that platonic relationship into a romantic relationship. Therefore once the couple have had sex they are no longer friends which could suggest that men and women cannot be friends and...

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...wn up not to be friends but merely to just use for exploration and potential mating partners.
A reason as to why women find it more costly could be due to them being more choosy. For example Trivers parental investment theory where women not only have sex but then have to sacrifice their body for a further 9 months, therefore mean are more likely to have that desire to have sex as there is less of a commitment involved. This therefore supports the evolutionary theory that males have a higher desire for a female companion for sex and women have a higher companion for protection which suggests that men and women can be friends as it relates to the cost and benefits of a friendship. If a male were to provide a female with protection and the women were to satisfy the male sexually. Then both are being benefited. Which could suggest that male and female can be friends.

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