Law of attraction: Men can't be just friends with women

Researchers said that men's friendship with the opposite sex are driven by sexual attraction, regardless of whether they are single or in a relationship.

On the other hand, women are more likely to consider their friendships with men as platonic and only hope for more if their own relationship is in trouble, the Daily Mail reported.

The findings mirror the plot of 1989 Hollywood movie 'When Harry Met Sally,' where Harry, played by Billy Crystal, tells Meg Ryan's character of Sally: "Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."

Researchers said the study had 'potential negative consequences for people in long-term relationships.

In a survey, 88 pairs of young male and female friends were asked to rate their attraction to each other in a confidential questionnaire.

Men, whether attached or single, were more likely to be attracted to their female friends and wanted to go on a date with them than the other way around.

They also assumed their female friends were more romantically interested in them than they actually were