Friendships are more group‐oriented in the United Kingdom than in Japan

TL;DR

This study finds that young adults in the UK tend to have more group-oriented friendships compared to those in Japan.

Contribution

The study introduces a new questionnaire to measure friendship styles and reveals cultural differences in relational mobility and group orientation.

Findings

Participants in the UK showed more group-oriented friendship styles than those in Japan.

Group-oriented friendship styles were linked to larger friendship groups and higher relational mobility.

The Friendship Habits Questionnaire effectively captured differences in friendship styles across cultures.

Abstract

Friendship is a common and complex social bond. Among friendship practices yet to be fully understood are group‐ versus dyadic‐oriented friendship styles, or whether people socialize with one versus multiple friends at a time. We report two studies comparing friendship styles and relational mobility among 1674 young adults (18–35 years old) in Japan and the United Kingdom. Respondents from both countries completed the Friendship Habits Questionnaire, a new measure of dyadic‐ versus group‐oriented friendship styles. Participants also estimated their friendship group size and time spent in friendship groups versus dyads, and completed a scale of relational mobility. Participants' group‐oriented friendship style, assessed with the Friendship Habits Questionnaire, was associated with larger friendship groups and more time spent in groups, rather than dyads of friends. Compared to Japanese, participants from the United Kingdom had more group‐oriented friendship styles and were more relationally mobile. Moreover, group‐oriented friendship styles were associated with higher relational mobility. These findings provide insights into models of friendship and social relationships promoted across diverse cultural settings.