REEXAMINING GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SAME-GENDER FRIENDSHIPS - A CLOSE LOOK AT 2 KINDS OF DATA

The present paper examines the widely accepted claim that women's and men's friendships can be characterized dichotomously as ''expressive.' ' vs. ''instrumental,'' or alternatively, as ''communal'' vs. ''agenti c. '' After addressing questions about the empirical support for this claim, we present analyses based on two different kinds of data. Subje cts providing these data were predominantly, although possibly not exc lusively, Caucasian U.S. citizens. Study One analyzed the purposes of interaction endorsed by women and men in reports of actual meetings wi th same-sex friends. Women and men did not differ in the purposes repo rted, as both indicated meeting most often just to talk, less often to work on a task, and least often to deal with a relationship issue per tinent to the friendship. Study Two analyzed responses to a form asses sing various aspects of the strength and quality of subjects' same-gen der friendships. Although women and men differed on a number of variab les, the differences did not form an expressive vs. instrumental dicho tomy. We discuss an altered perspective on the differences and similar ities in women's and men's friendships suggested by these results.