New and Old Friendships: Attributed Effects of Type and Similarity of Transacted Resources

Abstract

This study examined outside observers' judgments of the influence of the nature and similarity of transacted resources on the growth of new and old friendships. A number of hypotheses were developed and tested in a questionnaire study in which female subjects responded to vignettes describing exchanges between two male friends. The design was a 2 (particularistic vs. universalistic resources) x 2 (similar vs. dissimilar resources) x 2 (new vs. old friendship) factorial. A new friendship was (with few exceptions) considered to grow more when similar particularistic rather than similar universalistic or dissimilar resources were exchanged, and when similar universalistic rather than dissimilar resources were exchanged. There were few corresponding differences for an old friendship, however. Also, the exchange of similar particularistic resources, as well as the exchange of dissimilar resources, were seen as more conducive to the growth of a new rather than of an old friendship. The exchange of similar universalistic resources was seen to affect new and old friendships about the same. Overall, the nature of resources transacted, i.e., their degree of particularism/universalism, was the most important cue in subjects'predictions about the development of friendship.