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In three studies, friendship maintenance behaviors were investigated. In the first study, a psychometrically valid measure of friendship maintenance behaviors was developed via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Friendship maintenance behaviors of positivity, supportiveness, openness, and interaction were identified as key factors. Furthermore, maintenance behaviors differed by friendship status (best, close, or casual friends) and gender. Best friends engaged in more maintenance behaviors than close or casual friends. Gender differences in maintenance behaviors were found, such that female same-sex friendships reported using more supportiveness, openness, and interaction than male same-sex friendships. In the second study, a confirmatory factor analysis revalidated the four-factor scale structure. In the third study, the interdependence of maintenance behaviors among friendship dyads was examined. Results indicated that friendships are equitable, display self-other agreement, and perceive equity of maintenance behaviors. Furthermore, both individuals' self-reported behaviors predicted dyad level satisfaction and commitment. Areas for future research are identified and clinical implications are discussed.
Satisfying relationships are essential for people's mental and physical well-being (see Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Given the importance of relationships, it is necessary to consider the factors that hold relationships together. Between the initiation and termination of a relationship, friends and lovers must engage in behaviors that continue and develop the relationship. These behaviors have been labeled "relationship maintenance" and include a variety of routine and strategic actions. Although there has been a recent surge in the examination of romantic relationship maintenance, maintenance of friendships has received considerably less attention. Given that friendships play an important role in social support networks, this lack of knowledge about friendship maintenance is surprising and unfortunate. The goal of this research is to examine the structure and utilization of friendship maintenance behaviors.
In general, relationship maintenance refers to the behaviors engaged in between initiation and termination of a relationship; however, there are variations on this definition (Dindia & Canary, 1993). Relationship maintenance definitions generally fall into one of four categories: behaviors that individuals engage in "to keep a relationship in existence, to keep a relationship at a specific state or condition, to keep a relationship in satisfactory condition, and to keep a relationship in repair" (Dindia & Canary, 1993, p. 163). The theoretical perspective in the current research is that friendship maintenance behaviors...