Men report more sexual interest in their female friends than their female friends do in them, and men are also more likely than women to overestimate how romantically interested their friends are in them. In most cases, sexual attraction within a friendship is seen as more of a burden than a benefit, the study finds.

“I think men and women do want to be friends, they do want to engage in platonic friendships,” said study researcher April Bleske-Rechek, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire. “But the data I’ve been collecting suggests that attractions can get in the way.”…

Men who were romantically involved were no less likely than single guys to say they found their female friend attractive or to say they’d like to go on a date with her. Women who were romantically involved were also equally as likely as single gals to be attracted to their male friends, but they drew the line at dating, with fewer women in relationships saying they’d date their guy friend.