Back to results

DePaul University

When an individual’s best friend begins dating someone new: what factors shape how that individual responds?

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>Powerful emotional responses and conflicts can arise between close friends when one of them begins to romantically see someone new. The addition of a third-party dating partner to an existing friendship is fraught with social consequences and complex negotiations of time (Larson & Richards, 1991; Roth & Parker, 2001). For example, availability for activities once shared by close friends now must be moderated by the amount of time needed to spend with the new partner. This can lead to strong, negative feelings as the friends struggle to make the adjustment and accommodate their friendship's changing status. The emotion of jealousy is focused on within this study. It is an emotion that is aroused when individuals feel threatened in a close relationship (Lazarus, 1991). Within this study, a pool of participants were equally divided among those who are male and female, and those who are straight and non-straight completed various questionnaires assessing their attachment style, feelings of jealousy aroused, the type of relationship they have with their best friend (cross-sex vs. same-sex), and their own relationship status (unattached/single vs. attached/in a relationship). The design of this will allow an exploration of how the combination of all these factors (gender, type of relationship, sexual orientation, attachment style, and relationship status) may influence emotions of jealousy. </p>

Degree

thesis:*
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Psychology
Year dc:date.available
2008

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Huynh, Ngocanna P. P.

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/317
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:via.library.depaul.edu:etd-1322

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
DePaul University
Base URL
via.library.depaul.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Huynh, Ngocanna P. P.. When an individual’s best friend begins dating someone new: what factors shape how that individual responds?. Dissertation thesis, 2008. https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/317