The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

294 Chapter 8

conflicts with the requirement that one

friend critically evaluate the other.

Openness versus closedness—Situation

encountered by friends at work when

the expectation of the honest

communication central to friendship

conflicts with the necessity to keep

professional confidences.

Opportunity challenge—Difficulty

experienced when attempting to establish

a cross-sex friendship that results from

the fact that members of the same sex are

generally more accessible.

Outgroup homogeneity effect—The

tendency to see members of the outgroup

as all alike, more similar than different,

as compared to the ingroup to which one

attributes greater diversity.

Role conflict—Situation that occurs when

the demands of one role are inconsistent

with the demands of another role.

Sexual challenge—Challenge faced by cross-

sex friendship whereby the friends must

ask themselves if there is a sexual attraction

between them that could lead to a romantic

relationship.

Structural level of analysis—Emphasizes

the different positions or roles men and

women hold in society as a determinant of

friendship.

by the work relationship begins to interfere

with individual feelings of autonomy.

Co-rumination—Discussing problems

repeatedly in the context of a relationship.

Dispositional level of analysis—Emphasizes

the characteristics of the person as a

determinant of friendship.

Emotional bond challenge—Challenge

faced by cross-sex friendship whereby the

friends must decide if the closeness they

feel toward one another is friendship or

romantic love.

Equality challenge—Challenge faced by

cross-sex friendships because the equality

central to friendship conflicts with the status

hierarchy typically associated with male/

female relationships.

Homophily—The tendency to form

friendships with persons of the same race or

ethnicity.

Homophobia—Fear of homosexuality or

fear of appearing homosexual.

Impartiality versus favoritism—Situation

encountered by friends at work when the

desire to give a friend special treatment

conflicts with the necessity to treat all

workers the same.

Judgment versus acceptance—Difficulty

experienced by friends at work when the

mutual acceptance expected of friendship

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