ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a study conducted over 18 weeks in which participants kept daily records of up to two of their most significant interactions of the day and described their intimacy, duration, location and satisfaction. The data suggest that several intuitions about friendship are deeply suspect as well as showing that some of the assumptions of psychological theories are questionable in fact. From the perspective of a different research tradition, Robert A. Hinde adds direction to the familiar criticisms of laboratory work in attraction. The basic method seems to be potentially as useful in measuring the natural growth of friendships as it has been in assessing social participation. Data on the intimacy satisfaction, and estimated future of relationship along with similarity perceived by the participants were analysed. The qualitative data suggest that long-term development of naturally occurring relationship contains elements that have so far eluded researchers and theorists alike.
