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Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
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A Lay Theory of Relational Satisfaction with Best Friends

Tim Cole

DePaul University, tcole{at}wppost.depaul.edu

James J. Bradac

University of California at Santa Barbara

Three research questions were addressed to examine people's lay beliefs regarding the causes of relational satisfaction among best friends. The first question dealt with the specific beliefs that people hold about satisfaction with a best friend. Forty-three sources of relational satisfaction were identified. The second question focused on the dimensions underlying people's beliefs about satisfaction. Multidimensional scaling suggested that three general dimensions underlie people's beliefs about satisfaction with a best friend. The third question examined the perceived causal structure underlying people's beliefs about relational satisfaction. A network analysis revealed that people have a detailed and elaborate set of assumptions regarding the causal relations between the sources of satisfaction. Taken together, our results suggest that people have many, well-integrated beliefs about satisfaction in best friendships. Specifically, these beliefs are organized dimensionally and they are causally intertwined, constituting evidence for the existence of a lay theory of this relational outcome.

Key Words: best friends • lay theories • relational satisfaction

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 13, No. 1, 57-83 (1996)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407596131004
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This article has been cited by other articles:


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 Journal of Language and Social PsychologyHome page
A. C. Cargile, J. J. Bradac, and T. Cole
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 Journal of Social and Personal RelationshipsHome page
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The Concept of Shinyuu in Japan: A Replication of and Comparison to Cole and Bradac's Study on U.S. Friendship
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, October 1, 2003; 20(5): 579 - 598.
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