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The Perception of Ideal Best Friends by Chinese Adolescents
Author(s) -
Cheng Cecilia,
Bond Michael Harris,
Chan Siu Ching
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
international journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1464-066X
pISSN - 0020-7594
DOI - 10.1080/00207599508246975
Subject(s) - psychology , complementarity (molecular biology) , social psychology , helpfulness , assertiveness , openness to experience , ideal (ethics) , extraversion and introversion , perception , personality , similarity (geometry) , conformity , big five personality traits , developmental psychology , philosophy , genetics , epistemology , neuroscience , biology , artificial intelligence , computer science , image (mathematics)
This study examines the characteristics of ideal best friends endorsed by Chinese adolescents. A comprehensive measure of person perception was used in order to assess those dimensions of personality where gender, similarity, and complementarity might be related to the rating of ideal best friends. Results indicated that ideal female best friends were rated higher on the communal dimension of Helpfulness; ideal male best friends were rated higher on the agentic dimensions of Extroversion, Assertiveness, and Application. Similarity effects were found for Openness to Experience, Extroversion, and Emotional Stability; complementarity effects for Assertiveness. These results were explained in terms of Chinese gender stereotypes and the requirements for harmonious dyadic interaction.