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Friendship closeness inventory: development and psychometric evaluation
Anne-Maree Polimeni1, Elizabeth Hardie, Simone Buzwell
1Swinburne University of Technology, School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. apolimeni@swin.edu.au
Psychological Reports
|October 2, 2002
Summary
This study created the Friendship Closeness Inventory to measure closeness in same-sex friendships. Women reported higher emotional closeness than men, but behavioral and cognitive closeness showed no significant gender differences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Friendship closeness is a key aspect of social well-being.
- Understanding gender differences in friendship dynamics is crucial.
- Existing measures may not capture diverse styles of closeness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate the Friendship Closeness Inventory (FCI).
- To assess emotional, behavioral, and cognitive closeness in same-sex friendships.
- To examine gender differences in friendship closeness among Australian adults.
Main Methods:
- Development of the FCI with subscales for emotional, behavioral, and cognitive closeness.
- Psychometric evaluation including reliability checks and factor analysis.
- Correlational analyses and group comparisons (men vs. women).
Main Results:
- The FCI demonstrated sound psychometric properties and a 3-factor structure.
- Women reported significantly higher emotional closeness in same-sex friendships than men.
- No significant gender differences were found in behavioral or cognitive closeness.
Conclusions:
- The FCI is a potentially useful tool for researching friendship closeness.
- Gender socialization may influence emotional expressiveness in friendships.
- Further research is needed to explore the cognitive dimension of friendship closeness.