Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and the Macrodynamics of Friendship: The Role of Friendship Style and Communication in Friendship across the Lifespan

This manuscript examines the relationships among friendship style and several relational variables across three different age cohorts from a socioemotional selectivity theory perspective. Participants (N = 144) from three age groups were asked to evaluate a significant friendship in terms of quality of talk, level of emotional support, and perceptions of homophily. The results indicated that individuals with discerning friendship styles had longer friendships than people with independent or acquisitive styles. In addition, older individuals were more likely to have a discerning friendship style. The data were inconsistent with any significant differences for homophily. Those with a discerning friendship style reported higher levels of emotional support than either independents or acquisitives. Acquisitives had the highest evaluations of the quality of talk followed by discerning and then independents. The results provide some support for socioemotional selectivity theory, although several limitations and directions for future research are noted.