Commitment and Trust in Young Adult Friendships

Abstract

Given the importance of maintaining mutuality in interdependent relationships, the goal of the present research was to determine if interpersonal trust serves as a gauge of partners’ commitment within young adults’ close friendships.  It was hypothesized that individuals trust their friends to the degree that their friends are committed to their relationship, and that individuals’ perceptions of their friends’ commitment mediates this association.  A correlational design was employed and measures were obtained from both members of 60 same-sex friendship dyads.  A multilevel modeling approach was used to perform a mediational analysis of model variables; the hypotheses were confirmed.  Furthermore, it was revealed that friends demonstrate a moderate degree of mutual commitment in their relationships.  Potential avenues for future research regarding the development and consequences of trust in close friendships are discussed.