Are men and women one in the same when it comes to making friends? Psychology suggests, probably not.

Speaking on High Noon, Professor Ronald Riggio of Claremont McKenna College told George Hook that men view friendships as serving a transactional function.

"The main difference between men and women is that men's friendships are what we call more instrumental - they're more likely to have more transactional friendships," he said.

"You have your poker friends, or your golf friends or your football friends. It's much more of an exchange."

Women's friendship, by contrast, are more emotional. However, that doesn't mean men are unwilling to share their feelings with their friends.

"Women are more likely to have their friends across activities. They have their best friends and their good friends. They share a lot of things with them. They'll do a lot of things with them.

"There was a recent study that found that where men share their emotions is by going out for drinks. The alcohol loosens up the emotions a bit, whereas women are more likely to just share their feelings."

Long-lasting friendships

Studies have also found that while women's friendships tend to be more fragile, when it comes to maintaining friendships, they come up trumps.

"If their friend doesn't call them for a while, women tend to think, 'well, what's wrong?' and they'll try to reconnect with them, whereas men just trust the relationship over time and don't feel the need to maintain it."

Can men and women ever be just friends?

Reverend Hans Fiene previously told High Noon that friendships between men and women are unrealistic due to our biological design.

Dr Riggio believes that it is possible for men and women to maintain platonic relationships. However, he explained that there will always be a draw between men and women.

"To have those kind of deep friendships, it's rare. But there can be a platonic relationship between a man and a woman."