CONCEPTS OF FRIENDSHIP AND COGNITIVE-COMPLEXITY - ADULT FRIENDSHIPS IN DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGY

This paper deals with the attempt to relate cognitive aspects of human development to friendship relations as a relevant area of social interaction. In a questionnaire study adults were asked to write a few sentences about their meaning of friendship. Their answers were rated by two raters on a dimension called ''cognitive complexity'' and compared with their attitudes towards their existing friendship relations. It was shown that people with higher levels on the ''cognitive complexity'' dimension have more friends, they are more satisfied with their friends, and for these people friendship relations are more important. These effects are especially valid for females, who on an average have higher values on the dimension ''cognitive complexity'' on friendship. The importance of the variable ''cognitive complexity'' as an attribute of personality is discussed.