PY 371 1st Edition Lecture 20 Outline of Last Lecture I. Nonverbal behaviorOutline of Current Lecture II. Explanations for Sex Differences in CommunicationIII. Study of Gender and FriendshipIV. Sex Differences and Similarities in Friendships V. Closeness of FriendshipCurrent LectureExplanations for Sex Differences in Communication- Two major explanations:o Status theory o Social role theory- Status theory:o Sex differences in communication due to status differences between men and womeno Most useful for explaining sex differences in interaction styles and language - Interaction styles:o Expectations states theory: group members form expectations about won and others’ abilities, which influence nature of interactions- Languageo Relevant features include: tentative talking and duration of talking- Nonverbal behavioro Results of laboratory assignment to high and low status positions indicate that status alone does not account for sex differences in nonverbal behavioro Meta-analytic review confirmed little association between status and nonverbal behavior (disproves theory)Social Role Theory- States that differences in men and women’s communication styles due to different socialroles that men and women occupy in society- Men’s communication styles seen as a function of their instrumental orientationThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.- Women’s communication styles seen as a function of their expressive orientation- Interaction styles:o Men’s task behavior and women’s positive social behavior fit their social roleso Difference is greater when same-sex dyads rather than mixed-sex dyads- Languageo Some aspects (directives) fit men’s goal of control over interactiono Some aspects (emotional talk) fit women’s goal of encouraging communication- Nonverbal behavioro Women’s greater smiling, touching, decoding, emotional expression fit goal of fostering relationships- Emotiono Affiliation and dominanceo Women’s greater use of indirect strategies may be explained by higher levels of nurturing behaviors and lower levels of dominanceChapter 8Study of Gender and Friendship- At least two levels of analysis:o Dispositional level: characteristics of a persono Structural level: positions in society - Quantity of friendships: size of network- Study of friendship limited by its focus on middle class white people- Differences appear due to culture, race/ethnicity, social class, and ageNetwork Size- Most research shows boys and girls have similar numbers of friends- Structure of play may make boys network seem larger- Among adults no consistent sex differences in numbers of friendso Concept of friendships may differ for women and menSex Differences in Friendship- Primary sex difference in focus of friendships:o Instrumental activity focus for meno Emotional connection conversation focus for womeno Difference starts in childhood and persistso Female friendships emphasize self-disclosureo Male friendships emphasize activitieso Sex differences in agency, instrumentality less clearo Shared activities more intimate among womeno Sex differences found in how females and males provide support to friends but similarities outweigh differences- Sex report studies of friendships suffer from demand characteristics- Some findings generalize to other cultures- Also ethnic differences in U.SSimilarities- Men and women similar in what they want from friendso Trustworthy, source of support, source of fun and relaxation- Sexes similar in viewing similarity to self and egalitarianism as important features - Casual conversation- Both sexes agree that affective aspects are more important than instrumental features of friendship ( caring is more important)Closeness of Friendship- Historically men’s friendships viewed as closer than women’s- More recent consensus shows that female same sex friendships are closer, staring in middle school- Self-disclosure, caring, and support important- Men’s interaction with other men least closeo Men capable of intimacy but prefer not to behave intimately- Similarities of men’s and women’s definitions of intimacy outweigh differenceso Self-disclosure most important determinant of intimacy for both sexeso But self-disclosure alone is not sufficient for intimacyo Shared activities for menSex of Discloser- Females more likely to engage in co-ruminationo Leads to better friendship quality but also has psychological costs for females (depression)- Women self-disclose more than