Researchers asked 173 pairs of friends to report both their own cynicism and how cynical they thought their friend was. The team then used a statistical approach to test whether judgments were accurate or driven by people assuming friends were like themselves.
The study found that participants were somewhat accurate in judging friends, but they consistently saw friends as more benevolent and prosocial than friends' self-reports indicated. Highly cynical participants tended to perceive their friends as more cynical as well. The effect was stronger for newer friendships, where people were more likely to see others as less cynical than they reported.
The authors suggested that positive views early in friendship may help relationships form and grow. William Chopik, a coauthor at Michigan State University, noted that friendships matter for mental and physical health and that people need a balance between realistic and positive views.
Difficult words
- cynicism — a general distrust of people's motives
- benevolent — kind and willing to help others
- prosocial — behavior that helps other people
- perceive — to understand or see someone in a certain way
- accurate — correct and close to the real situation
- self-report — what a person says about their own feelingsself-reports
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Have you ever thought a friend was different from how they described themselves? What happened?
- Do you think seeing new friends positively helps friendships start? Why or why not?
- How can people keep a balance between realistic and positive views of friends?
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