Effects of Cross-Sex Friendships on Romantic Relationships

Abstract

Cross-sex friends can be perceived as third-party rivals in romantic relationships and threatens the persistence of the relationship. Despite the possible negative effects these friendships can have on romantic relationships, empirical studies examining this issue are scarce. Theory of motivated information management was used as an organizing framework to explore the information-management process individuals undergo when they desire to have more information about a romantic partner’s cross-sex friendships. A longitudinal survey design was employed for this study by having participants complete questionnaires at two time points approximately four weeks apart. Results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between uncertainty discrepancy and negative emotions; however, these negative emotions at earlier time points did not predict later information seeking. The effect of valence of information obtained about a partner’s cross-sex friendships on the relationship between information seeking and relational quality was mixed. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.