A lot of casual friends, or only a few you’re really close with? New research questions that trade-off

A new University of Arizona study challenges the old assumption that people must choose between having many friends or being emotionally close with just a few. Published in Evolution and Human Behavior, the research surveyed over five thousand international participants and found something unexpected: people simultaneously want both wide social networks and deep emotional intimacy. According to the findings, those with stronger preferences for intimacy reported feeling more lonely and less satisfied with their friendships—suggesting that desire for closeness may function as an internal alarm, warning when social needs aren't being met. Notably, extroversion was the only personality trait linked to these preferences, and men and women showed no significant differences. The researchers suggest this metric could help public health workers identify and support lonely individuals in various populations, from first-year college students to working professionals.

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