Effects of Close Friendships: A Look at How Friendships Affect Self-Esteem, Happiness, and Interactions with Strangers

Previous research has supported that having close friends is associated with various benefits. The purpose of this study is to further test the association between close friendships and specific benefits by researching three hypotheses. First, it is hypothesized that individuals with close friendships that provide a support system will experience greater happiness. It is well supported within the research that a positive relationship exists between close friendships and happiness; the components that influence and allow this relationship, however, are less researched. It is thought by some researchers that social support is a major component in determining who we are close friends with. Second, it is hypothesized that individuals with more close friendships will be more likely to socialize with a stranger/strangers. Although little-to-no research has been done specifically on how having close friends impacts the success of interactions with strangers, studies have found that having the perceived social support of a present close friend boosts confidence when completing difficult tasks. Third, it is hypothesized that individuals who have more close friendships will be less likely to have low self-esteem. Some research has been done on the relationship between close friendships and self-esteem. However, past research has found that self-esteem worked as a predictor for depression, which could possibly connect close friendships (which have shown to be positively correlated with happiness) and self-esteem. Participants consisting of Murray State University students will take several measures looking at close friendships, self-esteem, happiness, and stranger sociability. This study has been approved by Murray State University’s IRB and is currently collecting data. As for real-world applications, the data might show that developing more close friendships of quality would help manage self-esteem, depression, and social anxiety issues. Keywords: close friendships, self-esteem, happiness, interactions with strangers, wellbeing