Friendship making orientation as indexed by preferences for wide networks and intimacy with many friends

Structure and validity of a new construct

Bibliographic Data

ID21651169
AuthorsJessica D Ayers (0000-0001-7722-0376, Boise State University, corresponding author), Diego Guevara Beltrán (0000-0002-3667-052X, University of Arizona), Denise Laya Mercado (0000-0002-9351-2050, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey), Denise Mercado, A Aktipis (0000-0002-7128-670X, Arizona State University)
Year2026
Volume47
Issue4
Pages106878
Publication date2026-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEvolution and Human Behavior (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1090-5138 • E-ISSN: 1879-0607
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2026.106878
OpenAlexW7155196597
LanguageEN
References cited78

Friendships help people achieve many fundamental adaptive functions, such as forming coalitions and successful alloparenting. As such, one might theorize that humans are designed to seek out and maintain as many friendships as possible. However, with time and energy as finite resources, humans face a unique challenge in determining the number of friendships they can sustain - do they prioritize maximizing friendship quantity (potentially at the expense of investment in each friend, thus compromising friendship quality), or do they prioritize friendship quality (potentially at the expense of friendship quantity)? Here, we introduce the novel concept of friendship making orientation – a stable individual difference in motivation towards maximizing friendship quantity – and develop a tool for measuring this trait. Across 5 studies ( N Total = 5707), we created and confirmed the Friendship Making Orientation Scale's factor structure, finding that the scale is composed of two factors: preference for a wide friendship network and desire for intimacy with many friends. We further demonstrate strong test-retest reliability, as well as construct and discriminant validity. Critically, we demonstrate that the scale achieves measurement invariance across three geographically diverse countries (i.e., Egypt, the Philippines, and Brazil), and is associated with friend-seeking motivation and behaviors over and above relevant controls. Friendship Making Orientation offers a novel method for assessing an unexplored aspect of friendships and provides a crucial tool for understanding this valued relationship

Construct validity · Friendship · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Coaching Methods and Impact · Community Health and Development

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access