A psychologist writing in a major journal notes the issues associated with friendships between people of the opposite sex. The psychologist warns that such friendships can be damaging to a person’s marriage. He prefaces his remarks with a cautionary note that he is not advocating against certain types of opposite sex friendships or relationships, such as double dating or professional relationships. He focuses on one on one opposite sex friendships. He points to reports showing these relationships have the potential to become romantic.
Key Takeaways:
- Zach Carter, PhD and Psychology Today writer, believes that the most important relationship strength to foster is the difficult art of selflessness.
- While findings are inconclusive as to whether emotional,or sexual attraction, is the stronger ingredient in opposite sex friendships, it is nonetheless clear that both components exist.
- The root causes of attraction in cross-sex friendships can be biological, or psychological, even affected by the media.
“Gender research suggests women’s and men’s experiences in one-on-one opposite sex friendships are swayed by their advanced coupling tactics.”