TY - JOUR
T1 - Friendships are flexible, not fragile
T2 - Turning points in geographically-close and long-distance friendships
AU - Becker, Jennifer A.H.
AU - Johnson, Amy Janan
AU - Craig, Elizabeth A.
AU - Gilchrist, Eileen S.
AU - Haigh, Michel M.
AU - Lane, Lindsay T.
PY - 2009/6
Y1 - 2009/6
N2 - Prior research has characterized friendships, particularly long-distance friendships, as fragile. A turning point analysis compared changes in friendship levels for 100 college students in geographically-close (GC) and long-distance (LD) same-sex friendships. Results indicated that friendship level and commitment level are strongly and positively associated. Moreover, friendship level and proximity are interdependent with several categories of turning points. Finally, a linear sequence of shifts in friendship level is associated with both GC and LD friends, but a nonlinear sequence that includes a shift back to the casual friendship level with recovery is more typical for LD friends. Findings highlight transformation within friendships and suggest that it may be more accurate to conceptualize friendships as flexible rather than fragile.
AB - Prior research has characterized friendships, particularly long-distance friendships, as fragile. A turning point analysis compared changes in friendship levels for 100 college students in geographically-close (GC) and long-distance (LD) same-sex friendships. Results indicated that friendship level and commitment level are strongly and positively associated. Moreover, friendship level and proximity are interdependent with several categories of turning points. Finally, a linear sequence of shifts in friendship level is associated with both GC and LD friends, but a nonlinear sequence that includes a shift back to the casual friendship level with recovery is more typical for LD friends. Findings highlight transformation within friendships and suggest that it may be more accurate to conceptualize friendships as flexible rather than fragile.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=72149116722&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/0265407509344310
DO - 10.1177/0265407509344310
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:72149116722
SN - 0265-4075
VL - 26
SP - 347
EP - 369
JO - Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
JF - Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
IS - 4
ER -