Introduction
The aspects of friendship and their influence on the quality of sustained relationships are essential topics for social studies. Examining the characteristics of specific interaction elements and determining their uniqueness is a large part of such investigations, which allows scholars to draw relevant conclusions on the phenomena. For my research, I chose the trust aspect of friendship, aiming to discover the connections between the emergence of this element in close interactions between people and its importance for the involved individuals. I am personally interested in the insights that can be gained through qualitative research on this topic, as I believe that trust and reliance can be used to considerably enhance various individuals’ friendship experiences. It is exciting to explore the definition of confidence in other people as portrayed by distinct participants and examine if assurance could further contribute to the understanding of mutual bonds. This paper focuses on the trust aspect and aims to answer the following question: how do individuals ascertain the significance of trust in the process of sustaining a close friendship?
Literature Review
The value of sustaining a substantial level of trust in interpersonal communication has been outlined by several studies, which investigated whether this characteristic is a significant part of interpersonal processes. The first investigation, conducted by Aguilar et al. (2019), attempts to evaluate the impact of trust on friendship longevity, highlighting the connection between various aspects of friendship maintenance and its subsequent dissolution. Given the previous research on preserving close communication and terminating it, the authors seek to examine the basics of productive friendship and the circumstances that contribute to the end of the interaction.
In this investigation, the scholars employed a qualitative descriptive research design that involved in-depth interviews with 11 females who experienced at least a year of a deep friendship connection. The techniques of snowball sampling, thematic analysis, and exploratory analysis were implemented to secure credible data evaluation and achieve viable results. Aguilar et al. (2019) argue that the formation and development of friendship largely depend on such attributes as shared interests, intimacy, and shared experience. Furthermore, sustaining a plausible level of interaction requires a certain level of trust to be fulfilled. The study highlights the strategies used to maintain the needed degrees of reliance and reports that failure in this regard can lead to friendship termination. Overall, the authors conclude that multiple factors ensure the success of a close relationship, trust and pleasant emotions being one of them.
Another research essential for the topic discussed explores friendship advancements concerning interpersonal and intergroup processes. Based on the extensive literature review, Davies and Aron (2016) suggest that the experience of friendship can substantially affect its further development. Therefore, it is necessary to ascertain the value of positive emotions for relationship maintenance and explore the prerequisites for such feelings’ creation. The methods utilized include a retrospective survey distributed among the general adult population and a longitudinal investigation of undergraduates’ friendship changes. According to the results, there is a significant correlation between interpersonal processes and the establishment of meaningful connections, which tend to deepen over time. The interpersonal methods mentioned include the manifestations of caring and trust, which appear to strengthen the interactions and originate positive feedback. Altogether, it is concluded that engagement in trust-enhancing activities and displays of reliance are crucial factors for friendship sustainability.
The articles discussed are vital for the current study as they explore the nature of the various approaches to friendship maintenance, disclosing the importance of diverse elements in this process. There is a significant correlation between the phenomenon of trust and relationship longevity, as well as its overall success and level of emotional output. However, the participants’ impression of the reliance’s significance and their attitude to the manifestations of confidence remain unclear, prompting the need for a subsequent investigation that focuses on the personal accounts of the involved individuals. Furthermore, as the aforementioned research was directed at evaluating multiple factors at once, it is necessary to conduct an investigation that underlines trust only.
Methods
Interview Sample
To find participants that could contribute to the research, I employed several techniques focused on securing a credible sample. First of all, I defined the primary characteristics of the potential candidates, distinguishing such characteristics as exposure to social connections due to the nature of the individuals’ occupation, openness to interpersonal contact, and adult age. I suggested that selecting people involved in constant interaction could aid me in locating interviewees who have many close friendships and are knowledgeable of the intricacies of human communication. When searching for future respondents, I used a convenience sampling technique to locate individuals from different social circles to avoid interference. Finally, when examining the interviews conducted by my colleagues, I directed my attention to fulfilling the same criteria that I used for my initial sampling. The participants I selected are also exposed to social connections due to the attributes of their workplace or college environment and are of adult age. The final number of respondents is four, with two interviews conducted by me and two other discussions provided by my colleagues Shawn and Samantha.
Interview Questions
After determining the respondent traits described and finding suitable individuals, I progressed to the next stage of the research, which included revisiting the questions and performing the interviews. The list of the data collection questions is presented in Appendix A. In this section, I will discuss two questions that I discovered were most efficient for obtaining the information needed for this study. The first question is “What is your definition of a friend, meaning what are some of the characteristics of friendship?”, which yielded significant results both for my interviews and for the evaluations of my peers. I believe that this question was primarily directed at establishing the participants’ perspectives on friendship so that they could clarify the meaning behind such an intimate connection in their own words. Prompting the interviewee to provide their understanding of a close relationship is a prominent strategy for examining their leading requirements for constructing a fruitful friendship.
The question asked elicited pertinent information from all of the individuals, presenting detailed personal definitions of a sustainable friendship. Most of the respondents reacted positively to the inquiry, offering relevant knowledge accumulated over the years and based on personal experiences. The participants also attempted to create their clarification of the term, suggesting scenarios and circumstances under which the equalities of a friend could manifest.
The second question that I found incredibly productive was, “If you could look into the future, how would you like your friendships to be?”. I observed that many interviewees offer an explanation that highly correlates with their friendship ideals, as they created a depiction of a perfect close relationship. The prompt was introduced to investigate the friendship qualities essential for the participant, as it allows them to explore their expectations freely. The question mostly elicited necessary information about the elements of deep communication. Interestingly, this inquiry was not productive for one of my respondents, who directed the attention to their faults in need of improvement, stating that the interactions they have are already at the highest level possible.
Throughout the interviews, several unprompted questions proved to be exceptionally useful for the study. When interacting with the interviewee, I sometimes followed their thread of thought, working on the statements provided and clarifying some uncertain or interesting moments from the individual’s story. One example is the question “What kind of adjustments?” for the participant in interview 1, who reported that he needed adjustments to remain a good friend (Appendix B). To elicit more information regarding this topic, I asked Sam which alterations he would like to make.
Ethics
During my interviewing practices, I ensured the well-being of my respondents by explaining the specifics of the endeavor and affirming that their information will only be used for this class. I clarified that the data would not be shared with any other parties. Furthermore, I stated the broad aim of the research, confirming that the participant is aware of the overall intention of the study. The aspects of confidentiality were also covered, and the interviewees were asked to create pseudonyms for themselves and any other people mentioned in their recollections.
Results
Taking into consideration the requirements of producing a credible and trustworthy data analysis, the collected information was thoroughly evaluated to suggest an overarching theory that could connect the respondents’ answers. During this process, the knowledge was first examined on the subject of ground-level or emic coding, several codes evident in the majority of the interviews. After that, based on the four concepts highlighted, a larger uniting idea was developed and thoroughly explored. The following sections will cover the two research parts described, and the emic and etic codes’ relevance will be supported with direct quotations from the inquiries conducted.
Ground-Level Coding
When first evaluating the acquired data, I noticed several resemblances between the interviewees’ responses. Although each person defined friendship in a particular way, it appears that there is a correspondence between the participants’ answers which can be summarized in four distinct emic codes. The first concept is trust, which can be directly observed in three out of four inquiries, and is often an explanation for the question “How would you define friendship?”. In interview number 1, Sam states that in a close relationship, “there is a mutual bond of trust, respect and caring” (Appendix B). A similar attitude is presented in interview number 3, where Mrs. Brown argues that a friend is “someone you can depend on, someone you can trust, um, someone that is going to go through this journey that you call life” (Appendix D). Thus, the majority of the respondents refer to the idea of confidence in their friend as a desired result of friendship.
Similar to the previous excerpts, the concept of trust is presented in interview 2. Rizwan claims that in the future, he hopes to retain friends “who will be there when you need them and those you can trust with your most intimate secrets” (Appendix C). In interview 4, there is no precise concept of trust evident, but a corresponding notion of reliance is clearly expressed in Kyle’s answers. The respondent reports that, as a friend, he would like to be “someone that you could talk to and someone that you could rely on” (Appendix E). Having a friend requires a certain level of assurance, knowing that they will be with you for a long period.
Another term that was observed in all of the discussions is the topic of togetherness, a certain attachment between friends that keeps them connected. Each of the interviewees mentioned the need to feel a particular link between them and their peers. For instance, in interview 1, Sam states that “we couldn’t get together at all this holiday season,” explaining that there was a specific obstacle to maintaining a positive friendship (Appendix B). In interview 2, Razwan discusses his unique relationship with his wife: “Our children know they can rely on us together as a united team and a couple” (Appendix C). In interview 3, Mrs. Brown reports on the establishment of a connection between friends: “So, we formed a friendship, and we did everything together” (Appendix D). The aspect of togetherness follows the creation of a friendship, being the result of such an act. Finally, during interview 4, Kyle demonstrates the necessity to cooperate: “We tend to, you know, get together and hang out” (Appendix D). The notion of friendship seems to hinge on mutual endeavors, as true friends are usually involved in a number of the same activities.
The topic of connectedness also arises several times during the interviews, suggesting that it is vital for individuals to sustain a specific bond between friends. All participants mentioned the existence of a certain connection that establishes the level of closeness and the lack of which might lead to relationship dissolution. Mrs. Brown discusses the renewal of an old friendship: “We reconnected at work and just became close” (Appendix D). In interview 2, Razwan states that the kind of friends that he would like to keep are “those you feel close connections to” (Appendix C). Similarly, Kyle repeatedly refers to the notion of a connection between him and his friends: “The connection that we built before that was in a sense, the foundation that we don’t have to keep building upon” (Appendix E). Sam explains how the loss of a mutual bond can be detrimental: “At some point, I started feeling like we don’t connect anymore” (Appendix B). Therefore, it can be suggested that a strong connection between two individuals is highly significant for the development of a close friendship, and the absence of this connectedness might disrupt the flow of communication.
Finally, the respondents display a tendency to mention such a negative aspects of a relationship as disagreements. Any interaction is vulnerable to quarrels and differences of opinion, which may become a significant issue for the people involved. Mrs. Brown reports the ending of a close relationship: “I know we argued, but I do not remember all the details” (Appendix D). Additionally, Kyle explains their patterns of communication by mentioning that “if there is an argument, that usually starts and finishes like right there” (Appendix E). Sam also declares that fighting is not an issue for him and his friends: “There may be millions of fights between us, but it’s ok” (Appendix B). An inspiring thought was expressed by Rizwan, who desires to find better approaches to argument resolution. The participant states: “I don’t like arguing, but I also believe that every conflict presents an opportunity to improve a relationship” (Appendix C). Even though fights can adversely affect communication, they also offer individuals a chance to resolve their contradictions.
An Etic Code: The Larger Idea
The aforementioned emic codes provide an opportunity to theorize about an overall idea surrounding the interviews. In my opinion, there is an evident desire expressed in these statements, the necessity to obtain a trustworthy and reliable friend, one that will share the life experiences with the interviewee regardless of the circumstances. It is remarkably essential for the participants to maintain a positive relationship with their friends, and the characteristics of such friendship are intertwined with the concept of trust, cooperation, connection, and argument resolution. The insights gained from the exploration of the “trust” code allow proposing that confidence in another person significantly enhances the relationship’s potential and longevity, securing a successful interaction. The idea of togetherness also appears in all of the discussions, as it follows the creation of a potentially viable connection. The latter concept was observed as intimately tied with the success of the friendship, and it is also correlated with the level of trust established. As for the disagreement solution, I believe that this result might stem from the fulfillment of the other three targets, which further strengthens interpersonal communication.
The four ground-level codes can also be attributed to the process of sustaining a fruitful friendship, which might hinge on the efficient achievement of the notions outlined. To establish a close relationship, it is necessary to construct an interaction that involves a significant level of reliance, prompts individuals to accomplish tasks together, includes a mutual bond, and suggests options for quarrel diminishment. These factors, however, may not be equally contributing to the affluence of the endeavor, with some aspects playing a more significant role than others. For instance, two out of four respondents include the idea of trust in their definition of friendship, presenting their impressions of a perfect close interaction. The third participant also employs the idea of confidence in another individual when answering the prompt about his ideal friendly communication. Therefore, a trust may occupy an essential part of friendship maintenance, providing the ground for developing cooperation, connection, and argument mitigation.
It is crucial to note that the concept of a close connection is also repeated numerously throughout the interviews. However, some participants focus on it more than the others, returning to it multiple times, while others only mention the topic once. For instance, Kyle distinctively emphasizes the importance of a mutual bond: “So we built a strong bond and connection,” “Some people went away, but, uh, the connection that we built before” (Appendix E). The interviewee also mentions the issue of long-distance relationships: “It’s not like we had to see each other, talk to each other every day, too, like, maintain that strong connection” (Appendix E). Alternatively, Mrs. Brown only refers to the connectedness once, “We reconnected at work” (Appendix D). Based on this evidence, I propose that a common link, although identified by all the individuals, may vary in its significance depending on the personal characteristics of an interviewee.
As for the topic of togetherness, the third emic code in this study, although it appears with a higher frequency to trust, it is rather undervalued by respondents in comparison to other notions. None of the individuals report cooperative activities as an integral part of their friendship. In general, while the absence of trust significantly undermines the potential of a relationship, collaboration does not, as it might be supplemented with other endeavors, namely long-distance communication. As for the theme of arguments, even though it is observed in all of the interviews, it has much fewer mentions, suggesting that it might be the last element in the proposed schematic.
Discussion
The connection between the level of trust and relationship maintenance can be seen in multiple excerpts from the interviews, implying a particular link between these concepts. The participants highly regard the notion of reliance and confidence, declaring that their definitions of friendship include these characteristics and hoping to acquire them in their future friendly interactions. According to these accounts, upholding a successful close friendship is remarkably dependent on establishing a certain degree of trust between the individuals involved, ensuring that the communication will last for a considerable amount of time.
The basic attributes surrounding the process of friendship maintenance seem to be the remaining three emic codes, namely cooperation, connectedness, and argument resolution. Although these notions are referred to in a less meaningful way, they are still highly endorsed by the participants. It is possible that preserving a deep connection between friends requires the fulfillment of these factors, which, in their way, contribute to the elevation of trust and enhance the relationship’s potential. Furthermore, while trust is more universally used for defining friendship, other elements occupy different positions, which may be due to the personal preferences of the respondents.
Conclusions
To conclude, the qualitative research conducted explores the significance of trust for the process of sustaining a fruitful friendship, proposing that individuals highly value the concept of reliance and seek to implement it in interpersonal communication. This finding is supported by previous research, which highlights the importance of trust and seeks to examine its role in relationship maintenance. Other contributing factors related to this phenomenon are cooperation, connectedness, and conflict resolution practices, frequently mentioned by the interviewees. Regardless of their distinct personal characteristics and life experiences, all of the respondents included the idea of trust in their impressions of friendship and future interactions. The data accumulated through personal interviews allow proposing a relationship between the emic codes found, which compose a larger idea behind them: the process of upholding a close friendship.
Reflections, Implications, Thoughts about Limitations of the Research
The study performed might benefit from several improvements connected to the requirements of qualitative research. First of all, it would be advantageous to complete follow-up interviews to explore the topics discussed and achieve a higher level of comfortability with the participants. After that, a significant limitation is a small respondent sample, which diminishes data quality. I think that increasing the number of interviewees could be remarkably profitable for future investigations, securing the credibility of the knowledge gained. Finally, a better approach to the theoretical basis of the study, namely the scope of the literature review, could enhance the understanding of the underlying issues and suggest additional insights to take into account.
References
Aguilar, A., Lutrania, K., & Ceballo, E. (2019). The friend that got away: An exploration on female adolescent’s friendship dissolution. University of Mindanao International Multidisciplinary Research Journal, 4(1), 34–46.
Davies, K., & Aron, A. (2016). Friendship development and intergroup attitudes: The role of interpersonal and intergroup friendship processes.Journal of Social Issues, 72(3), 489–510. Web.