| Studies of interpersonal communication and friendship often ignore cross-sex friendships. Research on cross-sex friendships in a non-Western society is equally scarce. In the first attempt to investigate cross-sex friendships in a collective culture, 13 pairs of close Taiwanese cross-sex friends were interviewed individually for this study. The subjects were young, single, heterosexual adults with the average age of 25.4.;An interpretive analysis revealed that, first of all, close friendship was seen as a trusting, caring relationship which involved mutual assistance and private self-disclosure. Cross-sex friendship was described as an ambiguous and unpredictable relationship often affected by romantic attraction between heterosexual adults. Gender differences were reported in subjects' accounts of same- versus cross-sex friendships. However, more than one third of the subjects stressed gender similarities in a close friendship bond.;Second, cross-sex friendships among Taiwanese young adults were mostly formed at colleges. Self-disclosure, particularly private self-disclosure, was a key indicator of closeness. Turning points, however, were rarely reported by Taiwanese subjects who appear to see relational turning points as some magical events which transform a platonic friendship into a romantic involvement.;Third, relational dialectics, romantic tensions, and social constraints were found to have caused tensions between Taiwanese cross-sex friends. Interactional dialectics were reported by Taiwanese subjects, while external forms of dialectics didn't appear to cause relational tensions. Romantic tensions caused by physical attraction, moreover, were evident. In regard to social constraints, Taiwanese young adults were affected by jealous dating partners to a greater extent. Family members were generally supportive of cross-sex friendships.;Finally, overt conflicts were viewed as detrimental to a friendship bond and, in turn, were largely avoided. Among various taboo topics, sexuality and relationship talks were most pervasive. The data further showed that idiomatic communication codes were rarely reported. However, congruent messages were evident within each cross-sex dyad. In addition, cross-sex friendships were often expressed in kinship terms. Finally, yuan beliefs were frequently reported and accounted for the formation and maintenance of cross-sex friendships. |
