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Good Friends Are Good for You

By Tom Valeo
How Women's Friendships Are Different From Men's

In general, women are better at maintaining friendships than men. Women "tend and befriend," says Shelley E. Taylor, PhD, a psychology professor at UCLA. They respond to stress by protecting and nurturing others ("tending") and by seeking support from others ("befriending"). This pattern regulates the seeking, giving and receipt of social support, Taylor says. It produces health benefits by reducing psychological and biological stress.

And Margaret Gibbs, PhD, a professor of psychology at Fairleigh Dickinson University, found that men and women relate to others differently throughout life.

"We found that women seemed more geared to empathy, while male friendships are more geared to companionship and altruism," she tells WebMD. "Male friendships are more about helping each other—mending the lawn mower, that sort of thing. Women's friendships tend to have a more emotional content—listening to friends' stories and coming up with helpful solutions."


SOURCES: Giles, L. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 2005; vol 59: pp 574-579. Constanzo, E. Cancer, July 15, 2005; vol 104. Spiegel, D. Lancet 1989; pp 888-891. Sheldon Cohen, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University. Tasha R. Howe, PhD, associate professor of psychology, Humboldt State University. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, PhD, Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University. Cacioppo,J. Psychosomatic Medicine, May/June 2002; vol 64: pp 407-17. Pressman, S. Health Psychology, 2005; vol 24(3): pp 297-306. McPherson M. Smith-Lovin, L. American Sociological Review, June 2006; vol 71: pp 353-375. Shelley E. Taylor, PhD, professor of psychology, UCLA. Margaret Gibbs, PhD, professor of psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, N.J.

Reviewed on February 12, 2007 by Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD.

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