Cross-Category Friendships and Postformal Thought among College Students |
| |
Authors: | M. Paz Galupo Kelly B. Cartwright Lanya S. Savage |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Towson University, Baltimore, MD, USA;(2) Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Theories of postformal thought (PFT) suggest that cognitive development is enhanced by social interactions where differences must be negotiated. Friendships provide the potential for complex social interactions and are an ideal context in which to explore the relation between cognitive development and the negotiation of social differences. The present research is the first to directly explore the relation between close cross-category friendships and level of postformal cognitive reasoning among college students. Participants from two universities completed questionnaires assessing PFT and friendship characteristics. Results indicate that individuals reported more same-category versus cross-category friendships. This was true for sex, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, and age. In addition, individuals high in PFT had more social category differences in their existing close friendships than individuals low in PFT. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|