Group- and dyadic-oriented friendship styles across cultures and their impact on the use of contextual information when judging facial expressions

Abstract

Friendship group size varies around the world, with some people socializing in dyads and and others in groups. However, studies on friendship group size and its implications are rare and a systematic framework for measuring friendship socializing practices and assessing their implications is currently lacking. This research aims to fill this gap using the Friendship Habits Questionnaire (FHQ), a novel scale measuring group- versus dyad-oriented friendship styles based on traits such as intimacy, extraversion, and group identification. Three studies detailed in Chapter 2 found that high FHQ scores, indicating a tendency to socialize in friendship groups, positively correlated with time spent in, and the size of, friendship groups. Chapter 3 furthers our understanding by comparing friendship styles between domestic students in the UK/Ireland and international students from East/Southeast Asia. While friendship styles were similar, FHQ scores significantly influenced participants' satisfaction with their friendship networks and overall life satisfaction. Chapters 4 and 5 validated the FHQ across different cultures, revealing partial scalar invariance and highlighting cultural differences in friendship styles. Chapter 6 investigated the connection between friendship styles and contextual influences on emotion judgments in six diverse cultures (Greece, India, Japan, Sweden, UK, and USA), demonstrating no direct relationship but revealing cultural differences in contextual information. Chapter 7 further investigates contextual influences by incorporating looking behavior, comparing British and Irish observers with Asian counterparts. The results showed no significant associations However, variations in contextual influences across cultures were found, suggesting more pronounced effects among Asian participants. These studies offer a reliable measure for assessing individuals' friendship style in terms of socializing in groups versus dyads. It also highlights cultural differences in friendship styles and emphasize their link with life satisfaction. These findings also show the crucial role of friendship in acculturation and overall well-being.

Thesis is embargoes until 31 July 2029.

Date of Award	Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Northern Ireland Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Magdalena Rychlowska (Supervisor), Gülseli Baysu (Supervisor), Anthony P. Atkinson (Supervisor) & Tomas Jungert (Supervisor)