Gender Differences in College Students' Definitions and Perceptions of Intimacy

Abstract

In a study of gender differences in the definition, perception, and experience of intimacy, 30 white undergraduate students were interviewed regarding their intimate interactions and intimate relationships. The framework used to analyze participants' descriptions was informed by participants' own definitions of intimacy, and incorporated both affective and instrumental aspects of intimate interactions. This constitutes a break with much previous research on intimacy which defines intimacy narrowly, in terms of verbal expressiveness. Significant gender differences appeared in the ways in which women and men spoke about their intimate relationships. Implications for therapy are discussed, with the admonition that the broader cultural context in which intimate interactions are shaped should underlie any recommendations for intervention.