Friendship

Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an association, and has been studied in academic fields such as communication, sociology, social psychology, anthropology, and philosophy. Various academic theories of friendship have been proposed, including social exchange theory, equity theory, relational dialectics, and attachment styles.

Definition

Friendship is a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more people. In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge, esteem, affection, and respect along with a degree of rendering service to friends in times of need or crisis.

Developmental psychology

Childhood friends. The understanding of friendship in children tends to be more heavily focused on areas such as common activities, physical proximity, and shared expectations.

Types of friendship

Friendship can be categorized into different types based on the nature of the relationship. These include:

• Casual friendship - This is a type of friendship where the bond is not very strong, and is often temporary. The friends might not know each other very well, and the friendship is often based on a shared activity or interest.

• Close friendship - This is a type of friendship where the friends know each other very well, and share personal information and feelings with each other. This type of friendship often lasts for a long time.

• Best friendship - This is a type of friendship where the bond is very strong, and the friends consider each other to be like family. This type of friendship often lasts for a lifetime.

Health effects

A number of studies have shown that friendship has a significant impact on health. It has been found that people with strong social relationships have a 50% lower risk of mortality.

See also

• Interpersonal relationship
• Intimate relationship
• Family
• Social network

References

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