Risks, Vulnerabilities, and Desires for Future Romantic Relationships and Relationship Education During Early Adulthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1012-1027
Author(s):  
Jeremy B. Kanter ◽  
Stacy Conner ◽  
Amber Vennum ◽  
Sharon L. Deitz ◽  
Loren Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Relationship Education

Grieving the Loss of Romantic Relationships in Young Adults: An Empirical Study of Disenfranchised Grief

1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rostyslaw W. Robak ◽  
Steven P. Weitzman
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Personality Characteristics ◽  
Loss Of Control ◽  
Disenfranchised Grief ◽  
Grieving Process ◽  
Several Variables

Grief following lost romantic relationships during early adulthood has been identified as a form of disenfranchised grief. The present study examined several variables associated with the grieving process. College students (126) between the ages of eighteen and twenty-eight were asked to respond to a questionnaire and to complete the Loss version of the Grief Experience Inventory (GEI). Results of these surveys indicate that such grief is disenfranchised by family members (parents and siblings) but not by friends. Such grief experiences, as measured by the GEI, appear to be very similar to those following loss through death. Gender differences were not found, with the exception of three areas which have been substantially identified in previous research: as part of the grief experience, women reported greater feelings of loss of control, death anxiety, and less denial than did men. What factor(s) would lead young adults to seek counseling following such losses? No personality characteristics were able to predict this. The only variable to predict the seeking of counseling was a greater length of time spent in grief (11.9 months for those who sought counseling vs. 6.4 months for those who did not).

scholarly journals Romantic Relationship Churn in Early Adolescence Predicts Hostility, Abuse, and Avoidance in Relationships Into Early Adulthood

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 1195-1225
Author(s):  
Emily L. Loeb ◽  
Jessica Kansky ◽  
Rachel K. Narr ◽  
Caroline Fowler ◽  
Joseph P. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Early Adolescence ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Attachment Security ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Early Adolescent ◽  
Developmental Pathway ◽  
Close Friendships

This study examined early adolescent romantic “churning,” defined here as having a large number of boyfriends/girlfriends by age 13, as a problematic marker likely to predict hostility, abuse, and avoidance during conflict in later relationships. A sample of 184 adolescents was followed through age 24 to assess predictions of hostility, abuse, and avoidance during conflict from early romantic churning. Controlling for gender and family income, romantic churning at age 13 predicted relative decreases in peer preference and relative increases in conflict and betrayal in close friendships from ages 13 to 16, as well as higher observable hostility and self- and partner-reported abuse in romantic relationships by age 18 and greater avoidance during conflict with romantic partners by age 24. Findings remained after accounting for attachment security, social competence, and friendship quality in early adolescence, suggesting that early romantic churning may uniquely predict a problematic developmental pathway.

Romantic relationships and alcohol use: A long-term, developmental perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 773-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy J. Rauer ◽  
Gregory S. Pettit ◽  
Diana R. Samek ◽  
Jennifer E. Lansford ◽  
Kenneth A. Dodge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Problematic Drinking ◽  
Romantic Involvement ◽  
Adolescent Alcohol Use ◽  
Adolescent Alcohol ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences

AbstractThis study considers the developmental origins of alcohol use in young adulthood. Despite substantial evidence linking committed romantic relationships to less problematic alcohol use in adulthood, the uniformity of these protective benefits across different romantic relationships is unclear. Further, the extent to which the establishment and maintenance of these romantic relationships is preceded by earlier adolescence alcohol use remains unknown. To address these gaps in the literature, the current study utilized multitiple-dimensional, multiple-informant data spanning 20 years on 585 individuals in the Child Development Project. Findings from both variable- and person-centered analyses support a progression of associations predicting adolescent alcohol use (ages 15–16), drinking, and romantic relationships in early adulthood (ages 18–25), and then problematic young adult alcohol use (age 27). Although adolescent alcohol use predicted greater romantic involvement and turnover in early adulthood, romantic involvement, but not turnover, appeared to reduce the likelihood of later problematic drinking. These findings remained robust even after accounting for a wide array of selection and socialization factors. Moreover, characteristics of the individuals (e.g., gender) and of their romantic relationships (e.g., partner substance use problems and romantic relationship satisfaction) did not moderate these findings. Findings underscore the importance of using a developmental–relational perspective to consider the antecedents and consequences of alcohol use early in the life span.

Childhood personality as a harbinger of competence and resilience in adulthood

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Shiner ◽  
Ann S. Masten
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Young Adulthood ◽  
Big Five ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Developmental Tasks ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
Adult Outcomes ◽  
High Competence ◽  
Main Effects

AbstractThis study examined the significance of childhood Big Five personality traits for competence and resilience in early adulthood. Resilience was defined in terms of adaptive success in age-salient developmental tasks despite significant adversity throughout childhood/adolescence. The Project Competence Longitudinal Study tracked 205 young people from childhood (around age 10) to emerging adulthood (EA, age 20) and young adulthood (YA, age 30; 90% retention). Multimethod composites were created for personality traits, adversity exposure, and adult outcomes of academic achievement, work, rule-abiding conduct, friendship, and romantic relationships. Regressions showed significant main effects of childhood personality predicting adult outcomes, controlling for adversity, with few interaction effects. In person-focused analyses, the resilient group in EA and YA (high competence, high adversity) showed higher childhood conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness and lower neuroticism than the maladaptive group (low competence, high adversity). The competent (high competence, low adversity) and resilient groups showed similar childhood traits. Turnaround cases, who changed from the maladaptive group in EA to the resilient group in YA, exhibited higher childhood conscientiousness than persistently maladaptive peers. Findings suggest that children on pathways to success in adulthood, whether facing low or high adversity, have capacities for emotion regulation, empathy and connection, dedication to schoolwork, and mastery and exploration.

scholarly journals Adolescent Delinquency and Family Conflict as Precursors of Romantic Relationships in Early Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 1371-1401
Author(s):  
Veroni I. Eichelsheim ◽  
Arjan Blokland ◽  
Wim H. J. Meeus ◽  
Susan J. T. Branje
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Family Conflict ◽  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Family Relations ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Adolescent Delinquency ◽  
Multiple Group ◽  
Life Course Transition

Relationship engagement is an important life-course transition that may affect criminal development. Yet, little is known about how criminal behavior may in turn affect life-course transitions. Using six waves of data on adolescents, their parents and a sibling from the RADAR-Y (Research on Adolescent Development and Relationships, younger cohort) study, we investigate how patterns of adolescent delinquency and family conflict are related to characteristics of early adulthood romantic relationship engagement by means of a multiple-group trajectory model approach. We find that family conflict seems to foreshadow strained romantic relationships in the early adult years. Adolescent delinquency—and not family conflict—is the stronger predictor of partnering an antisocial spouse. Thus, persistence in antisocial behavior in adulthood may be contributed to both the nature of adolescent family relations and the extent of adolescent delinquency.

scholarly journals Together We Can: Increase Couple Functioning for Low-SES Families

2020 ◽  
pp. 106648072097751
Author(s):  
Lindsey Almond ◽  
Eboni Baugh ◽  
Jacquelyn Mallette ◽  
Kate Taylor Harcourt-Medina
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
African American ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Parenting Practices ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Relationship Education ◽  
Socioeconomic Differences ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Parenting Efficacy ◽  
Couple Functioning

This study reviews how parenting efficacy and the coparenting relationship are influenced by a shortened and adapted Together We Can relationship program. Researchers were interested in determining how socioeconomic status and race impact parenting and coparenting outcomes. Participants included 26 White and African American individuals. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and the spillover hypothesis assist with understanding how participant’s environments have impacted their current relationship and parenting practices. Statistically significant differences were found between pre- and posttests on both parenting and coparenting outcomes; further analyses showed racial and socioeconomic differences within these outcomes. As society continues to form increased romantic relationships and parenting systems, relationship education programs should be evaluated with varied populations.

Emerging Adult Relationship Transitions as Opportune Times for Tailored Interventions

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Vennum ◽  
J. Kale Monk ◽  
B. Kay Pasley ◽  
F. D. Fincham
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Relationship Education ◽  
Relationship Formation ◽  
Relationship Length ◽  
Tailored Interventions ◽  
Behavior Study ◽  
College Course ◽  
Emotional Safety ◽  
Relationship Efficacy

The goal of this research was to identify predictors of college students’ relationship dissolution and how a relationship education (RE) curriculum integrated into a college course ( Relationship U [ RU]) influenced students’ breakup (BU) and relationship formation decisions. Study 1 ( n = 854) showed the strongest predictors of BU by the end of the semester were low relationship efficacy, dedication, satisfaction, and relationship length and greater emotional safety, distance, and extradyadic behavior. Study 2 ( n = 7,957) examined the perceived influence of RU on students’ decisions to end and begin relationships through thematic analysis of open-ended questions asking participants to identify what (if any) aspect of the curriculum influenced their decisions. Participant responses highlighted specific RE components differentially salient to their decisions to end and begin romantic relationships. Implications for creating tailored and adaptive RE curricula with emerging adults are discussed.

scholarly journals Social Withdrawal and Romantic Relationships: A Longitudinal Study in Early Adulthood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania A. Barzeva ◽  
Jennifer S. Richards ◽  
Wim H. J. Meeus ◽  
Albertine J. Oldehinkel
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Social Withdrawal ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Relationship Development ◽  
Developmental Task ◽  
Relationship Qualities

AbstractInvolvement in romantic relationships is a salient developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood, and deviations from normative romantic development are linked to adverse outcomes. This study investigated to what extent social withdrawal contributed to deviations from normative romantic development, and vice versa, and the interplay between withdrawal and couples’ relationship perceptions. The sample included 1710 young adults (55–61% female) from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey cohort and their romantic partners. Data were collected across 4 waves, covering romantic relationships from ages 17 to 29 years. The results showed that higher withdrawal predicted a higher likelihood of romantic non-involvement by adulthood, consistently being single at subsequent waves, and entering one’s first relationship when older. Withdrawal moderately decreased when youth entered their first relationship. Male’s withdrawal in particular affected romantic relationship qualities and dynamics. These results provide new insights into the developmental sequelae of withdrawn young adults’ romantic relationship development.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document