Understanding Social Relationship Maintenance Among Friends: Why We Don't End Those Frustrating Friendships

Social relationships are a fundamental part of our lives and may have both positive and negative effects on physical health; thus, this study examined how and why individuals would maintain ambivalent relationships, as previous research indicates that such relationships may be potentially detrimental. Specifically we examined the influence of external and internal barriers, intimacy, distancing, and obligation vs. voluntary contact in relationship maintenance within ambivalent (highly positive and negative) and supportive (primarily positive) friendships. Participants included 87 male and 138 female undergraduates (N = 225), who were randomly assigned to rate either a supportive or ambivalent friend on measures of relationship maintenance. Results suggest that ambivalent relationships are not maintained primarily due to obligation or external barriers, but rather are viewed as voluntary associations maintained primarily because of internal factors such as commitment to the relationship. The positive aspects of ambivalent friendships were also frequently cited as a primary reason for maintaining the relationship. However, relational distancing was used more among ambivalent than supportive friendships.