Encore -- Why is it so hard for adults to make friends? With Marisa Franco, PhD

In this episode of Speaking of Psychology, Kim Mills interviews Dr. Marisa Franco, a friendship expert, about the challenges of making and maintaining friendships in adulthood. Dr. Franco explains why friendships can decline as people age due to changes in life context and priorities, leading to decreased opportunities for continuous unplanned interaction and shared vulnerability. She offers advice on initiating new friendships by challenging self-defeating thoughts and assuming people like you, as well as strategies for maintaining existing friendships by scheduling regular interactions and integrating friends into personal goals. The discussion covers the essential qualities of good friendships, such as reciprocity, support for one's success and identity, and perspective-taking. Dr. Franco also addresses the impact of ghosting, differences in friendship styles between men and women, the effects of the pandemic on social connections, and ways to build friendships in remote work environments and across racial lines, as well as navigating political disagreements in friendships.