Psychologists from the University of Nicosia (Cyprus) have identified the most popular strategies for ending unwanted friendships. The researchers have published their results. magazine Personality and Individual Differences.
The authors took a sample of 225 participants who explained what actions they would take to end the friendship. During the interviews, the scientists were able to identify 43 pathways, which were then evaluated by a second sample of 469 volunteers. Thus, scientists were able to identify the three most popular strategies for breaking contact with a friend: distancing (ending close relationships while maintaining contact), abrupt ending of all relationships, and gradual ending of relationships. At the same time, the latter turned out to be the most popular, and the second – the least.
“Furthermore, the choice of strategy depended on the relationship itself: if these were normal, then the participants chose to gradually end the friendship or move away. If the friendship was associated with unpleasant memories, the volunteers tended to end the relationship abruptly. Interestingly, this strategy is more typical for men and the elderly than for younger people and women, the scientists noted.