Understanding social connectedness in college women and men

A sense of connectedness for men was hypothesized to be based on relationsh ips that emphasize forms of social comparison, whereas a sense of connected ness for women was hypothesized to be based on relationships that emphasize forms of intimacy and physical proximity. The results from this study gene rally supported the hypotheses for both women and men. For women, relations hips that emphasized reliable alliance and not guidance contributed to soci al connectedness. For men, relationships that emphasized reassurance of wor th but not reliable alliance or opportunity for nurturance contributed to s ocial connectedness. Differences in how women and men construct social conn ectedness are discussed in terms of counseling implications and future rese arch.