Women favour dyadic relationships, but men prefer clubs: cross-cultural evidence from social networking

PloS One
Tamas David-BarrettRobin Dunbar

Abstract

The ability to create lasting, trust-based friendships makes it possible for humans to form large and coherent groups. The recent literature on the evolution of sociality and on the network dynamics of human societies suggests that large human groups have a layered structure generated by emotionally supported social relationships. There are also gender differences in adult social style which may involve different trade-offs between the quantity and quality of friendships. Although many have suggested that females tend to focus on intimate relations with a few other females, while males build larger, more hierarchical coalitions, the existence of such gender differences is disputed and data from adults is scarce. Here, we present cross-cultural evidence for gender differences in the preference for close friendships. We use a sample of ∼112,000 profile pictures from nine world regions posted on a popular social networking site to show that, in self-selected displays of social relationships, women favour dyadic relations, whereas men favour larger, all-male cliques. These apparently different solutions to quality-quantity trade-offs suggest a universal and fundamental difference in the function of close friendships for the two sexes.

References

Jul 1, 1989·Annals of Neurology·W T LongstrethG van Belle
Nov 7, 1998·Nature Genetics·M T SeielstadL L Cavalli-Sforza
Aug 15, 2000·Psychological Review·S E TaylorJ A Updegraff
Mar 21, 2002·Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation : Official Publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association·Arezoo Campbell
Nov 6, 2002·Psychological Reports·Nicole L OxleyJessica L Miller
Mar 18, 2003·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Simon Baron-CohenSally Wheelwright
Aug 27, 2003·Child Development·Richard A FabesCarol Lynn Martin
Sep 3, 2003·European Journal of Haematology·Are P NormannGeir E Tjønnfjord
Nov 5, 2003·Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders·Simon Baron-Cohen, Sally Wheelwright
Feb 11, 2004·Journal of Personality and Social Psychology·Beverley Fehr
Mar 1, 2005·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·W-X ZhouR I M Dunbar
Mar 30, 2006·Developmental Psychology·Joyce F Benenson, Anna Heath
Jul 5, 2007·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Marcus J HamiltonJames H Brown
Sep 8, 2007·Science·Joan B Silk
May 29, 2009·American Journal of Primatology·Kevin LangergraberLinda Vigilant
Jun 12, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Joan B SilkDorothy L Cheney
Jul 28, 2009·Child Development·Amanda E GuyerEric E Nelson
Oct 2, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Julia Lehmann, R I M Dunbar
Apr 29, 2010·Psychological Science·Mitja D BackSamuel D Gosling
Jun 17, 2010·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Joseph HenrichAra Norenzayan
Mar 16, 2011·Psychological Science·Joyce F BenensonRichard W Wrangham
Jul 12, 2011·Annual Review of Psychology·Robert M Seyfarth, Dorothy L Cheney
Oct 21, 2011·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·R KanaiG Rees
Nov 1, 2011·Evolutionary Anthropology·Takeshi Furuichi
Nov 11, 2011·Nature·Susanne ShultzQuentin D Atkinson
Jan 28, 2012·Nature·Coren L ApicellaNicholas A Christakis
Mar 6, 2012·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·Brooke A Scelza
Apr 18, 2012·British Journal of Psychology·Alistair SutcliffeHolly Arrow
Apr 21, 2012·Scientific Reports·Vasyl PalchykovRobin I M Dunbar
May 1, 2012·Personality and Individual Differences·Ashwini Nadkarni, Stefan G Hofmann
May 23, 2012·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Tamás Dávid-Barrett, R I M Dunbar
May 30, 2012·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·R I M Dunbar
Sep 18, 2012·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Joyce F BenensonSandra Stella
Jun 28, 2013·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·T Dávid-Barrett, R I M Dunbar
Jul 11, 2013·PloS One·Jillian J JordanNicholas A Christakis
Jul 31, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Christopher OpieSusanne Shultz
Jan 8, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jari SaramäkiRobin I M Dunbar
Oct 10, 2014·Evolutionary Psychology : an International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior·Anna RotkirchMarkus Jokela
Mar 1, 2003·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·R A Hill, R I M Dunbar

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 7, 2016·Royal Society Open Science·Kunal BhattacharyaKimmo Kaski
Jan 18, 2017·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Tamas David-Barrett, Robin I M Dunbar
Feb 23, 2019·Scientific Reports·Tamas David-Barrett
Sep 15, 2020·Proceedings. Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences·R I M Dunbar
Nov 29, 2016·PloS One·Tamas David-BarrettKimmo Kaski
May 21, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Michael LaakasuoRobin Dunbar
Nov 10, 2016·PloS One·Riccardo PansiniRui-Wu Wang
Mar 19, 2020·Scientific Reports·Tamas David-Barrett
Dec 29, 2020·PloS One·Leonard S PeperkoornPaul A M Van Lange
Oct 16, 2018·Evolution and Human Behavior : Official Journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society·Chris von RuedenMichael Gurven
Mar 27, 2021·BMC Public Health·Wangla CirenShujuan Yang
Mar 27, 2021·Archives of Sexual Behavior·Joyce F Benenson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Software Mentioned

WEIRD
Facebook Profile Pictures

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Scientific Reports
Vasyl PalchykovRobin Dunbar
Occupational Medicine
Nicola Cordell
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
Robin Dunbar
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved