Audience challenge
| Field | Sociology, interpersonal communication |
|---|---|
| Origin | J. Donald O'Meara (1989) |
| Key people | J. Donald O'Meara, Katie Schoonover, Bree McEwan, Michael Monsour, Kathy Werking, Bryan L. Koenig, Lee A. Kirkpatrick, Timothy Ketelaar |
| Purpose | Describes the social situation in which a platonic relationship between a man and a woman is mistakenly perceived by third parties as a romantic or sexual relationship. |
Audience challenge is a concept in sociology and interpersonal communication, and it describes a social situation in which a platonic relationship between a man and a woman is mistakenly perceived by third parties as a romantic or sexual relationship.[1][2] Sociologist J. Donald O'Meara wrote about the term in a 1989 article, which was a conceptual paper, and the article named the audience challenge as one of four basic challenges for opposite-sex relationships. The audience challenge is about how people outside the relationship read and react to the relationship. These outside observers may also think that one or both members of the relationship have a hidden romantic plan.[1]
Definition and origin
[edit]O'Meara introduced the audience challenge in his 1989 article as one of four basic challenges that cross-sex friends must negotiate.[1][3] A part of the audience challenge is the task of presenting the relationship correctly and authentically platonic to relevant audiences. The fact that people outside the relationship may misread it is a central part of this challenge. These external observers may also think that one or both members of the relationship have a hidden romantic plan.[1]
Empirical research
[edit]Research has found that opposite-sex pairs who were strictly platonic were less likely to face the audience challenge and less likely to worry about it than pairs in other relationship types. Those other relationship types include mutual romance, desires romance, and rejects romance.[2] A 1994 study by Michael Monsour and other researchers looked at the challenges that opposite-sex pairs face, including the audience challenge, and found that this challenge does exist but most people in the study did not see it as very important.[4] A later study published in 1997 by Monsour, Harvey, and Betty used balance theory to explain this challenge in opposite-sex relationships and asked both people in each relationship instead of only one person.[3]
Regression analyses have shown that opposite-sex pairs tend to have the audience challenge least often when their social network is supportive of their platonic dynamic. The link between network support and the audience challenge is moderated by romantic desire and sexual activity. Schoonover built her research on O'Meara's audience challenge and also found that members of different relationship types may have different experiences with this challenge.[2] Koenig, Kirkpatrick, and Ketelaar published a 2007 study that tested four hypotheses to explain the misperception of sexual and romantic interests in opposite-sex relationships. The four hypotheses were a simple sex-difference hypothesis, a projection hypothesis, a mate value hypothesis, and a mediation hypothesis.[5]
Key publications
[edit]Werking wrote a book in 1997 called "We're Just Good Friends: Women and Men in Nonromantic Relationships", and it looks at how other people's scrutiny affects these relationships and at cultural assumptions about relationships and romance. The book also looks at how these assumptions shape what people expect from opposite-sex relationships. When a social network sees a relationship as truly platonic, the relationship can become stronger because the group gives it positive reinforcement. If people instead assume that the relationship is romantic or hides a sexual part, then the members of the relationship have to worry about how others see them.[6]
Monsour wrote a book in 2001 that looked at opposite-sex relationships from early childhood through old age, and the book also summed up findings on how relationships between males and females can be encouraged throughout life.[7] Monsour also wrote a journal article that reviewed the literature on communication and opposite-sex relationships across the life cycle. That article noted that opposite-sex relationships have a changing quality that makes them different at each stage of life.[8]
Related concepts
[edit]Sexual interactions are seen as a possible result of opposite-sex relationships that start off platonic, and some people welcome sexual tension in these relationships while other people do not.[1][9] It all depends on the relational rules that the pairs set for the relationship.[6][1][8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 O'Meara, J. Donald (October 1989). "Cross-sex friendship: Four basic challenges of an ignored relationship". Sex Roles. 21 (7–8). Springer: 525–543. doi:10.1007/BF00289102. ISSN 0360-0025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Schoonover, Katie; McEwan, Bree (22 July 2014). "Are you really just friends? Predicting the audience challenge in cross-sex friendships". Personal Relationships. 21 (3). Wiley: 387–403. doi:10.1111/pere.12040. ISSN 1350-4126. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 Monsour, Michael; Harvey, Vickie; Betty, Sam (December 1997). "A balance theory explanation of challenges confronting cross-sex friendships". Sex Roles. 37 (11–12). Springer: 825–845. doi:10.1007/BF02936342. ISSN 0360-0025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Monsour, Michael; Harris, Bridgid; Kurzweil, Nancy; Beard, Chris (July 1994). "Challenges confronting cross-sex friendships: "Much ado about nothing?"". Sex Roles. 31 (1–2). Springer: 55–77. doi:10.1007/BF01560277. ISSN 0360-0025. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Koenig, Bryan L.; Kirkpatrick, Lee A.; Ketelaar, Timothy (September 2007). "Misperception of sexual and romantic interests in opposite-sex friendships: Four hypotheses". Personal Relationships. 14 (3). Wiley: 411–429. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2007.00163.x. ISSN 1350-4126. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 Werking, Kathy (2 May 1997). We're Just Good Friends: Women and Men in Nonromantic Relationships. Guilford Series on Personal Relationships. New York: Guilford Press. p. 193. ISBN 9781572301870. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Monsour, Michael (12 November 2001). Women and Men As Friends: Relationships Across the Life Span in the 21st Century. Mahwah, New Jersey: Psychology Press. p. 294. ISBN 9780805835670. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- 1 2 Monsour, Michael (1997). "Communication and Cross-Sex Friendships Across the Life Cycle: A Review of the Literature". Annals of the International Communication Association. 20 (1): 375–414. doi:10.1080/23808985.1997.11678946. ISSN 2380-8985. Retrieved 12 September 2026.
- ↑ Afifi, Walid A.; Faulkner, Sandra L. (April 2000). "On being `just friends': The frequency and impact of sexual activity in cross-sex friendships". Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 17 (2). SAGE: 205–222. doi:10.1177/0265407500172003. ISSN 0265-4075. Retrieved 12 September 2026.