The Role Of Attraction On Cross Sex Friendships - 964 Words

Can you be friends with someone you like? The dynamic of cross-sex friendships is an interesting area of study and one of which has little data. Moreover, research on this narrow subject is rather limited and comes from fairly old studies. The idea that men and women cannot be ‘just friends,’ is due to the idea that there must be some aspect of physical and or romantic involved. As Reeder discussed traditional societal norms and expectations of male-female relationships have played a role in how we view cross-sex friendships today. The literature on cross-sex friendships has explored the role of attraction and the impact it has on the dynamics of cross-sex relationships. This literature review will investigate the role of attraction on cross-sex relationships and whether attraction hinders being friends with someone you like. Further, exploring the various common themes among the literature on attraction in cross-sex friendships: the definition of attraction is subjectiv e and there are different types of attraction, attraction tends to confuse the definition of the relationship, men perceive attraction more than women and lastly, attraction indeed is a challenge but not necessarily detrimental. It is hypothesized that attraction creates a significant challenge for those involved in a cross-sex relationship. Therefore, once attraction becomes an issue in the relationship, the possibility of the relationship lasting is questionable. The following five studies support theShow MoreRelatedGender Stereotypes And Gender Roles1246 Words   |  5 PagesGender roles are defined as the â€Å"widely accepted societal expectations about how males and females should behave† (Rathus, 2010). From gender roles, we, the people of society, are able to determine whether someone identifies as a male or a female. 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