A neglected topic in the field of personal relationships has been the study of friendships. Social psychologists have studied how and why individuals are attracted to one another and the processes of interaction during initial encounters, but they have not paid much attention to ongoing friend­ ships. A major goal of the present volume is to develop theories and integrate research on the development and maintenance of friendships. Another major goal is to build bridges between social psychologists and other social scientists by presenting an interdisciplinary approach. Although a majority of the contributors are social psychologists, other authors include sociol­ ogists as well as developmental, personality, and clinical psychologists. The chapters also present research on friendship based on a wide range of research methodologies, including laboratory research as well as longi­ tudinal, naturalistic, and clinical studies. Hence, the book incorporates a variety of conceptual and methodological approaches that should con­ tribute to a cross-fertilization of ideas among disciplines. The first chapter, by Barbara A. Winstead and Valerian J. Derlega, provides an overview of theory and research on friendship. The second chapter, by Daniel Perlman and Beverley Fehr, provides a summary and conceptual critique of social psychological theories of social attraction that are relevant to the study of friendship. Adopting a developmental approach, Duane Buhrmester and Wyndol Furman, in Chapter 3, demonstrate the particular importance of friendship during middle childhood and adolescence in fulfilling interpersonal needs.

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1. Friendship and Social Interaction: An Introduction.- Theoretical Issues in the Study of Friendship.- Methodological Issues in the Study of Friendship.- Applications of Friendship Theory and Research.- Conclusion.- 2. Theories of Friendship: The Analysis of Interpersonal Attraction.- Reinforcement Theories.- Exchange and Equity.- Cognitive Consistency Theories.- Developmental Theories.- A Comparison of Theories of Attraction.- An Evaluation of Theories of Attraction.- Conclusion.- 3. The Changing Functions of Friends in Childhood: A Neo-Sullivanian Perspective.- Sullivan's Theory of Social-Personality Development.- Empirical Evidence.- Summary and Conclusions.- 4. Personality and Friendship: The Friendship Worlds of Self-Monitoring.- A Scientific Approach to the Study of Friendship.- Conceptions of Friendship.- Behavioral Manifestations of Friendship.- The Population of Friendship Worlds.- Understanding the Nature of Friendship.- The Paradox of Friendship.- 5. Sex Differences in Same-Sex Friendships.- Sex Differences in Adult Same-Sex Friendships.- A Developmental Perspective on Sex Differences in Same-Sex Friendships.- Intrasex Differences in Same-Sex Friendships.- Understanding Sex Differences in Interpersonal Behavior.- Sex as a Contextual Variable.- Concluding Remarks.- 6. Differences in Social Exchange Between Intimate and Other Relationships: Gradually Evolving or Quickly Apparent?.- Some Differences in Exchange Between Close and Casual Relationships.- When Are Differences in Exchange Detectable?.- Concluding Comments.- 7. Strategies in Developing Friendships.- Purposive Communication.- Information Gathering and Exchange.- Accounts of the Role and Function of Personal Information Exchange.- The Level of Awareness and Strategic Planning in Interactions.- 8.Personal Choice and Social Constraint in Close Relationships: Applications of Network Analysis.- Conceptualizing Social Networks.- Structural Attributes.- Toward a Theory of Structural Interdependence.- Concluding Commentary.- 9. School Organization and Interracial Friendships.- Theoretical and Empirical Research on Interracial.- Friendliness.- Organizational Characteristics of Schools and Interracial Friendships.- Conclusions.- 10. Friendships in the Work Place.- Culture and Friendship.- Types of Work Relations.- The Workplace as Setting.- The Content of Work.- Organizational Friendships and Organizational Culture.- Men and Women Together.- Friendship Amidst the Hierarchy.- Conclusions.- 11. Social Support and Stress: The Buffering Effects of Friendship.- Stress.- Friendship Formation.- Social Support and Friendship.- Strategies for Future Research.- 12. People Without Friends: Loneliness and Its Alternatives.- Definitional Issues.- Loneliness.- Function of Friends.- Alternatives to Friends.- Therapeutic Interventions.- Summary.- 13. A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach to Friendship Disorders.- Cognitive-Developmental View of Friendships.- Classification of Friendship Disorders.- Cognitive Therapy for Friendship Disorders.- Summary.- Author Index.