Adolescents’ Definitions of Cheating in Romantic Relationships

Cheating is a common occurrence in dating relationships. However, less is known about cheating in adolescence, a time when many individuals first experience romantic relationships. An important initial step for research is examining how adolescents define cheating in their romantic relationships. The present study used Thematic Analysis, a qualitative analytic method, to explore adolescents’ definitions of cheating and how these definitions might differ across age and gender. Furthermore, the present study examined patterns that emerged within definitions. Results indicate that definitions of cheating included a range of behaviors, such as engaging in physical activity, romantic/intimate involvement, spending time with, talking to, having romantic feelings for, and thinking about an extradyadic partner. Significantly higher numbers of definitions involving heavier physical behaviors were provided by older adolescents and boys compared to middle adolescents and girls. Furthermore, definitions often involved physical, emotional, and non-physical and non-emotional behaviors. Overall, results indicate that cheating is a complex and multifaceted construct for adolescents

Breakups and Betrayals in Emerging Adulthood: A Developmental Perspective of Relationship Dissolution and Infidelity

This dissertation includes two studies that focus on romantic experiences in emerging adulthood (ages 18-25), romantic dissolution (Study 1) and extradyadic intimacy (Study 2), and their relationship with developmental and individual factors. Each study uses two unique community samples of emerging adults who have attended college as well as those who have not attended college in the past. Importantly, both studies examine romantic dissolution and extradyadic intimacy from a developmental perspective, taking into account the salient developmental tasks of independence and interdependence faced by young people. Additionally, individual factors, including perceptions of emerging adulthood (Study 1), attachment style (Study 2), and gender (Studies 1 and 2) are examined as they relate to emerging adults\u27 pursuit of these romantic experiences. Each study concludes with implications for relationship education for emerging adults

Impulsivity and the Dissolution of Romantic Relationships

The primary aim of this study was to examine whether impulsivity is related to emerging adults’ motivations for breaking up with romantic partners. Previous findings indicate that emerging adults (ages 18-25) tend to base their decision-making on the fulfillment of their needs for independence and/or interdependence. The present study included 113 emerging adults who reported the reasons why they decided to end a romantic relationship in the past six months. These responses were coded for the presence of independence and interdependence motivations. The UPPS-P impulsive behavior scale measured five facets of impulsivity: negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking, and positive urgency. T-tests were conducted to determine whether the various facets of impulsivity varied according to the motivations for breaking up. Results showed that emerging adults who referenced interdependence needs tended to score higher on negative urgency and positive urgency compared to those who did not reference interdependence needs. However, there were no differences in impulsivity between those who did and did not reference independence needs. Implications of these findings will be discussed

The Influence of Relationship Stability Patterns in Emerging Adulthood on Chronic Illness and Health Behaviors

Objective Relationship status e g married single is linked to mental and physical health outcomes However beyond this static binary measure of relationship stability it is not known how different patterns of moving in and out of these static statuses effect outcomes Therefore using a recent nationally representative sample of emerging adults the present longitudinal study examined patterns of relationship stability among young people between the ages of 17 and 27 and their links with mental and physical health outcomes Method Using mixed-method participants romantic relationship status was coded across five waves into types of relationship stability patterns Then using quantitative methods we determined if relationship stability pattersn differed on self-reported measures of mental health i e psychological distress physical health e g chronic illness self-reported health and health behaviors e g sleep binge drinking smoking using appropriate regression models i e linear Poisson logistic Results Participants N 694 were five relationship stability patterns were determined Stable Single 42 6 Stable Committed 2 5 Moving into Commitment 34 2 Moving Out of Commitment 3 9 and In and Out of Commitment 16 9 Linear regression analyses revealed that these relationship stability patterns differed on health outcomes including mental health self-reported physical health and problematic health behaviors such as alcohol use Conclusions Emerging adults in the Moving Out of Commitment group seemed to fair the worst compared to those in the Stable Single group across various mental and physical health problems while those in the Moving In And Out of Commitment group only fared worse on problematic health behavior

Fork of Emerging Adulthood Measured at Multiple Instituions

This project is the host of the EA and Politics Survey Project organized by Alan Reifman in 2004. There are over 1300 cases from 14 samples at 10 distinct institutions. Theorists interested in reanalyzing the data are invited to submit a proposal to use the data

Alcohol Use and Risk Factors for Sexual Aggression: Differences According to Relationship Status.

The present study examined the ways alcohol use and risk factors for sexual assault perpetration vary by relationship status. Participants included 242 college men (age = 18-22 years) from a northeastern university who identified as being single or in a casual or committed dating relationship with a female partner. ANCOVAs and paired t tests compared individuals who were single, casually dating, and in committed relationships on self-reported alcohol use during sexual situations, beliefs about sexual communication, behavior associated with sexual aggression, and peer approval of sexual aggression. Differences in alcohol use during sexual situations and behavior associated with sexual aggression according to relationship status emerged. Post hoc analyses examining whether alcohol use during sexual situations moderated significant associations between relationship status and behavior associated with sexual aggression suggested that men in committed relationships who endorsed more frequent alcohol use during sexual situations also endorsed more behavior associated with sexual aggression. Findings suggest that individuals in committed relationships who often use alcohol during sexual situations may be at increased risk of sexually aggressive behavior

Developmental Trajectories and Health Outcomes Among Emerging Adult Women and Men

With a recent sample of emerging adults, the present longitudinal study examines multiple role trajectories that emerging adult women and men in the United States tend to traverse between the ages of 18 and 25, thereby partially replicating and furthering the work of Amato et al. Furthermore, the present study examines the physical and mental health of emerging adults in various trajectories. Findings revealed three trajectories for emerging adult women, including (1) work and school to some family formation (56.2% of women), (2) school to family formation (11.5% of women), and (3) some school to early family formation (32.3% of women). Women who transitioned from (3) some school to early family formation were more psychologically distressed than those who transitioned from (1) work and school to some family formation. Women who transitioned from (3) some school to early family formation also experienced significant declines in physical health. For emerging adult men, findings revealed three trajectories, including (1) work and early family formation (9.4% of men), (2) school to family formation (32.1% of men), and (3) school to work (58.5% of men). Men in the (2) school to family formation trajectory experienced less psychological distress over time. These findings point to certain trajectories that might be particularly beneficial for emerging adults’ physical and psychological health