RESEARCH_FILE
Jaimie Arona Krems
Oklahoma State University
Known for:Experimental work showing friendship jealousy is a functional tool for keeping valued friendships
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“They're closer to each other than to me”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“Two friends laughing is not my termination letter.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Take 5 minutes and make a three-column note on paper: what I saw, what I assumed, what I actually know. End by circling one fact that does not mention replacement.
Key findings
- 2021
Across 11 studies (N = 2,918), friendship jealousy was uniquely evoked by third-party threats, scaled with friendship value, tracked replacement cues over time-lost cues, and motivated 'friend guarding'. Friendship jealousy: One tool for maintaining friendships in the face of third-party threats? ↗
- 2021
Men's and women's friendship jealousy is broadly similar, with one notable difference: women reported greater jealousy than men at the prospect of losing same-sex best friends to interlopers posing high replacement threats. Sex (similarities and) differences in friendship jealousy ↗