Cross-societal evidence of sex differences in preference for emotional support from friends

Friendships have helped humans solve many different recurrent adaptive challenges across evolutionary time, ranging from physical defense to finding mates. While some of the challenges equally affected both men and women, others are linked to one's sex and have therefore led to some differences in the structures and functions of male and female friendships in order to effectively solve these challenges. For example, previous research has found robust evidence for enhanced intimacy and emotional sharing in women's (as compared to men's) friendships. This difference is reflected in the qualities men and women report seeking in their friends: Women, more than men, prefer friends who provide them with emotional support. We replicate this finding in five studies spanning four countries (N = 967) to provide preliminary evidence that this preference is found cross-societally. Consistent with a functional account of friendship, the extent to which emotional support from same-sex friends is prized differs by sex.