"Men's Friendships Tend to Be Less Emotional. Men tend to choose their friends based on "instrumental" rather than "emotional" reasons. So, men may choose friends for specific activities-having their "golfing" or "poker" buddies. Women, on the other hand, tend to have friendships that are more about the emotional connection with the other person rather than the "transactional" aspect of a friendship built on shared purpose."
"Men Spend Less Time Maintaining Friendships. Women tend to spend much more time maintaining their friendships-they call or text each other regularly. Men are much less inclined to engage in regular communication with their male friends. Yet, men may still consider their friends to be close, even though they may have completely lost connection with them. One interesting study asked middle-aged adult men to list their "very close friends.""
Men's friendships often prioritize instrumental, activity-based connections over emotional bonds, producing relationships centered on shared pursuits like sports or hobbies. Men typically spend less time maintaining friendships through regular calls or texts, which allows close ties to weaken or end without consistent contact. Many men still label distant acquaintances as 'close' despite prolonged disconnection. Concern about how emotional closeness with other men will be perceived, especially fears of implying romantic interest, inhibits deep emotional disclosure and intimacy among heterosexual men. Together, these tendencies result in friendships that are generally less emotionally supportive and more fragile than women's friendships.
Read at Psychology Today
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