Researchers have recently started investigating the roots of friendship preferences.

Social scientists find strong preferences for friends to be loyal, trustworthy and warm. Interestingly researchers find there are preferences for friends who help us solve specific problems.

Social scientists have also learned that there are some important gender differences in what people want in friends.

Previously researchers in this field have divided friendship preferences based on gender. The dichotomy suggests that women prefer one-on-one, emotionally close and face-to-face friendships, while men prefer multi-person, task-oriented and side-by-side friendships, with a focus on a shared activity. Newer findings show it is not accurate to say that men and women want one kind of friendship over another. When we take a more holistic approach and consider broader categorisation of emotional closeness and tasks, the gender differences in these preferences are reduced.

Considering friendship preferences will be an important factor in reducing not only loneliness but other related public health crises which include the findings that loneliness is associated with the likelihood of attempting suicide. Recent surveys have found that men are suffering big declines in the number of close friends they have, as well as experiencing higher rates of suicide compared to women.

At GFS Perth we have been aware of the growing loneliness epidemic for many years. It has been the shaping force for our vision to catalyse a #FriendshipRevolution. We hope you’ll join us on our journey.

GFS Perth has been enabling Friendship for almost 140 years. Check our socials or Events Calendar. #FriendshipRevolution