The relation of age, gender and sex-role identity to role expectation in same-sex friends

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation of age, gender, and sex-role identity to role expectation in same-sex friends (SSF). Role expectation in SSF consisted often categories (Wada, 1993): Cooperation, information, similarity, self-enhancement, sensitivity, companionship, authenticity, self-disclosure, respect, and interdependence. Subjects were 129 (67 male and 62 female) junior high school, 243 (118 male and 125 female) senior high school, and 168 (88 male and 80 female) college students. Major findings were as follows: Senior high school and undergraduate students expected more self-enhancement from SSF than junior high students. Junior and senior high school students expected more companionship than undergraduates. Undergraduates expected more authenticity and less self-disclosure than junior high school students. And male students expected more companionship, information, and similarity, but less self-disclosure, self-enhancement, and respect from SSF than female. Clear results of the relationship between sex-role identity and role expectation in SSF weren't found.