A Functional Comparison of Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Friendships during Adolescence

Abstract

The present study investigated how adolescents perceive their same-sex and opposite-sex friendships. A total of 576 6th-through 12th-grade students rated both their same-sex and opposite-sex friendships on 11 functional and structural attributes. MANOVA and ANOVA results revealed significant gender differences for most of the attributes, but no grade differences. The females gave higher ratings than did the males to both the same-sex and opposite-sex friendships. Whereas the same-sexfriendship received higher ratings than the opposite-sexfriendship on some attributes, the overallpattern offindings in this regard indicated that same-sex and opposite-sex friendships share in functional importance by simultaneously providing for many of the social needs of adolescents.