Two studies with college students tested the hypothesis that a secure attac
hment style enhances intimacy in friendship. Three intimacy characteristics
were studied: self-disclosure; responsiveness to a partner's disclosure; a
nd feeling understood, validated, and cared for by a partner during convers
ations. In Study 1, individuals with a secure attachment style were higher
on all three intimacy characteristics. In Study 2, a lab-based assessment o
f intimacy revealed some relations between attachment and intimacy, providi
ng mixed support for the hypothesis. Both studies found gender differences
in intimacy characteristics. The findings provide a starting point for a mo
del accounting for individual differences in friendship.