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126 Relationships Research Topics & Essay Examples

📝 relationships research papers examples, 👍 good relationships essay topics to write about, 🏆 best relationships essay titles, 🎓 simple research topics about relationships, ❓ relationships research questions.

  • Relationships Based on Power: Parents and Children Psychology essay sample: Parents play the most important role in the healthy development and growth of their children. Parents’ impact on their children can be both positive and negative.
  • Counselor Roles and Relationships Psychology essay sample: A counselor utilizes empathy to create connections with their clients to help them resolve a crisis, while also collaborating with other workers to create effective techniques.
  • Optimism Impact on Social Relationships Psychology essay sample: This paper provides a brief overview of an article that explores the impact of optimism on social relationships.
  • Adult Attachment and Close Relationships Psychology essay sample: The results of Attachment Styles and Close Relationships test demonstrates that my attachment style is secure.
  • Attachment Theory and Romantic Relationships Psychology essay sample: This paper will examine the main aspects of the attachment theory and the theories of adult behavior developed based on it.
  • Low Self-Esteem and Unhealthy Relationships Link Psychology essay sample: This research seeks to study the hypothesis that people with low self-esteem are more likely to stay in unhealthy relationships.
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiple Relationships Psychology essay sample: Multiple relationships are potentially more damaging than positive. Despite personal responsibility for such interactions, general rules cannot be violated.
  • Attachment Types in Close Relationships Psychology essay sample: The current article outlines two main approaches to the issue of exchange and communal norms within intimate connections.
  • Counselor-Client Relationships and Influences Psychology essay sample: This essay aimed to analyze issues affecting counselor-client relationships. Family and values are the most cited factors.
  • Reality and Family Therapy to Improve Relationships Psychology essay sample: The primary goal of the therapy is to improve the patient’s relationship with his father and help him become more conscious in terms of his life choices.
  • Life Course Theory and Intergenerational Relationships in Families Psychology essay sample: The life course theory assists in identifying the factors affecting the development of individuals, families, and relationships within families.
  • Relationships Between Personality and Cognitive Ability Psychology essay sample: The relationship between cognitive ability and personality has been explained based on the Big Five and investment theory of intelligence.
  • Interpersonal Relationships: Dealing with Grief Psychology essay sample: Interpersonal relationships need maximum determination to nurture and sustain, and they are regarded as a connection between people.
  • John Gottman on Family Relationships’ Stability Psychology essay sample: John Gottman has devoted most of his work to studying family relationships' stability. He describes the essential criteria of an apocalypse in relationships.
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to Decrease the Relapse in Chronically Depressed Persons Psychology essay sample: The researchers analyze the relationships between interpersonal processes, chronic depression, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT).
  • Changes in Relationships Through Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Psychology essay sample: The paper aims to collect data on the positive or negative outcomes of therapy to gain a new perspective on the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.
  • Freud's Child Development Theory Psychology essay sample: The theory of child development developed by Zigmund Freud is based on the belief that the child is always in conflict with society.
  • The Best Solution to Predict Depression Because of Bullying Psychology essay sample: This paper examines interventions to prove that the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program is the most effective solution for predicting depression provoked by bullying.
  • Maya Angelou's Personality Assessment Psychology essay sample: This paper includes psychoanalytic aspect, neo-analytic and ego aspects, biological aspects, behaviorist and learning aspects, and trait aspects of personality.
  • Abusive or Violent Relationships Psychology essay sample: There are different reasons younger people stay in abusive or violent relationships. Young adults do not know what to expect or how to react to abuse.
  • “Encounters with Animal Minds” Article by Smuts Psychology essay sample: Barbara Smuts, a professor of psychology, introduced her experience of communicating with animals in her article the title “Encounters with Animal Minds,” published in 2001.
  • Depression Among Students at Elon University Psychology essay sample: This paper entails an analysis of the problem of depression in colleges, specifically, at Elon University, and it includes its causes and suggested remedies.
  • How One Can Apply Psychology to One’s Future Life Psychology essay sample: Even in the field of psychology, differing viewpoints are common. There is a method to communicate disagreements without getting into a fight.
  • Ethnography of Self: Call to Action Psychology essay sample: Communication problems usually happen on the interpersonal level when people fail to understand each other or say something offensive, thus spoiling the relationships.
  • Psychological Subheadings and Their Relationship Psychology essay sample: Psychology has four main subdisciplines social, cognitive, biological, and developmental hence; they attempt to answer different psychological questions.
  • Structural Family Theory Applied to Wilson’s “Fences” Psychology essay sample: August Wilson’s “Fences” represents peculiar family dynamics worth discussing and viewing through the Wheel Theory of Love lens.
  • Trauma and Its Effect on Children Psychology essay sample: The paper examines the notion of trauma and its effect on children. Moreover, it looks into the consequences, causes, reactivation of trauma, and prospective treatment.
  • The Biological Approach to Understanding Human Emotion Psychology essay sample: This paper aims to critically analyze the biological approach to understanding peoples' feelings and conclude on the interaction between biology and individuals' emotions.
  • Prosocial Behavior and Hostilities Against Women Psychology essay sample: The most critical factors that promote relationship satisfaction include attachment style, communication skills, and problem-solving skills.
  • The Psychology of Being Born Good or Bad Psychology essay sample: Ideally, children are born with the virtue of goodness; nevertheless, factors such as psychological and upbringing variations can transform them to be morally upright.
  • The Application of Family Therapy's Psychological Frameworks Psychology essay sample: This paper aims to critically assess the theoretical concepts of helping relationships by looking at how family therapy's psychological frameworks are applied to group therapy.
  • Perceived Academic Stress and Continuing and Returning Students Psychology essay sample: This paper investigates the relationship between perceived academic stress, continuing, and returning students variables. It adopted a descriptive study design.
  • The Postmodern Approach to Family Therapy Psychology essay sample: The article analyzes the clinical applicability of the integration of the postmodern approach with Ingram's model of theological reflection in family psychotherapy.
  • Analyzing the Role of Developmental Factors in Two Families Psychology essay sample: This paper analyzes the developmental factors for the personal and case scenario families, compares these factors, and develops strategies to solve the issues.
  • Family Conflicts: Universal Counseling and Support Program Psychology essay sample: The focus of the research is to explore the feasibility and necessity of implementing universal counseling and support programs freely and easily accessible by all families.
  • Children's Development Affected by Environment Psychology essay sample: This paper discusses the effects of the environment on child development by categorizing the environment into social, physical, biological, familial, and emotional environments.
  • Attachment Theory and Developmental Psychology in Early Childhood Psychology essay sample: This paper explores attachment theory and its role in developmental psychology, specifically focusing on early childhood.
  • Adolescence Egocentrism: Examples Psychology essay sample: This paper explores the concept of egocentrism during adolescence and its impact on the interpersonal relationships and development of teenagers.
  • Psychoanalytic Family Therapy and Its Importance Psychology essay sample: The inability of the family to fulfill social functions requires the intervention and implementation of psychoanalytic therapy to strengthen the unit of society.
  • Psychoanalytic Family Therapy in Clinical Practice Psychology essay sample: There is a prospect of development and approbation in the clinical practice of family psychoanalytic psychotherapy based on the psychoanalytic method.
  • Behavioral and Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy Models Psychology essay sample: This presentation will also show how Christianity and CBFT can collaborate to provide clients with the most outstanding possible service.
  • Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory of Development Psychology essay sample: The psychosocial development theory by Erickson is an expansion of a model by Sigmund Freud’s study on ego, super-ego, and identity.
  • Unrequited Love Theories in Practice Psychology essay sample: The biological and social aspects of unrequited love are covered in Bamford's article, while the severity of the experience is covered by Bode & Kuula.
  • Risk Factors of Suicidality Among Teenagers Psychology essay sample: A study on risk factors, including physical, social, psychological, and substance abuse for teenage suicidality, is crucial for understanding suicide among adolescents.
  • Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality Development Psychology essay sample: Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality development has generated much research in child and family development.
  • Incarcerated Parents Raising Children Psychology essay sample: Incarceration of parents or one of them is one of the severe tests for children who are forced to take on a new role.
  • Parental Divorce's Impact on Children Psychology essay sample: Separation of parents negatively affects the psychological state of children, who, especially at an early age, are very susceptible to divorce in the family.
  • Bronfenbrenner Ecological Theory on Interpersonal Violence in Early Childhood Psychology essay sample: The modern world is cruel, and we frequently witness instances where a person intentionally hurts another person. Society is now concerned about other issues, like child abuse.
  • Personality Disorder: The Development of Antisocial Behavior Psychology essay sample: Antisocial behavior refers to a set of actions that result from a person's lack of the ability to respect other people's rights. Examples of these actions include setting fires.
  • Erikson’s and Freud’s Developmental Theories Psychology essay sample: This paper explores the scholarly research that supports developmental theories and is based on Erikson’s and Freud’s ideas pertaining to child and family development.
  • The Issue of Psychological Abuse and Violence Psychology essay sample: The paper states that psychological moral violence is a way of non-physical pressure on the human psyche. The result is the rejection of one's attitudes.
  • Children's Social Development After Divorce Psychology essay sample: Since divorce is common in the world, it is essential to understand how it affects kids and find strategies to shield them from any potential harm.
  • Being in a Relationship vs. Being Single Psychology essay sample: People tend to look for romantic partners for various reasons, but, at the same time, in the modern world, the choice to be single is increasingly common.
  • Family Relationships and Therapeutic Interventions Psychology essay sample: This paper will focus on therapeutic assessments and interventions for counsellors to help the couple stabilize their family relationships.
  • Aspects of Reciprocal Relationships The paper discusses the process of creating reciprocal relationships with the community. The development of a child requires more than the parent's involvement.
  • Counseling on Dissatisfaction with Family Relationships The client expressed dissatisfaction with her relationship because her husband changed after the accident. She reported that the relationship deteriorates.
  • Interpersonal Relationships in Family System Theory An interpersonal relationship (IR) is a close, powerful, or profound association between two or more people who share similar beliefs or objectives.
  • The Problem of Relationships Within the Family This paper examines knowledge within the family, not only their physical interaction but their moral interaction as well along with the family values.
  • Counselor-Client Social Relationships A competent professional will use their expertise and cognizance as a guide in planning the counselor-client relationship during and after counseling.
  • Natural Disasters' Impact on Intimate Relationships This analysis was performed to investigate the link between natural disasters and the extent of relationships among newlywed couples.
  • The Importance of Emotion Regulation in Parent-Child Relationships The paper underscores the importance of emotion regulation in parent-child relationships. Strategy use is related to child emotion regulation strategy use.
  • Relationships in Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” Hemingway builds his “Hills Like White Elephants” on the argument between the two unnamed persons, adding tension to their conversation and not revealing its nature.
  • Preschoolers' Emotional Development and Influences of Family Structure and Peer Relationships Emotional development is essential for children. Degrees of emotional adaptation can be predicted via one's family structure, peer relations, age, and sex.
  • Key Communication Skills for Building Stronger Relationships
  • The Impact of Quality Time on Relationship Health
  • Exploring the Dynamics of Power and Equality in Romantic Relationships
  • How to Build a Strong Parent-Teacher Relationship
  • Navigating Long-Distance Relationships: Tips for Maintaining Connection
  • Understanding of Love Languages
  • The Power of Forgiveness in Healing Relationships
  • Building Trust in Relationships: 7 Essential Strategies for Success
  • 8 Signs of a Healthy Relationship
  • Exploring the Dynamics of Parent-Child Relationships
  • The Influence of Past Experiences on Present Relationships
  • Embracing Imperfection in Relationships: The Beauty of Flaws and Vulnerability
  • The Role of Empathy in Building Strong and Lasting Relationships
  • Aging and Its Effects on Social Relationships Social relationships are beneficial to the elderly. This research analyzes the perspectives that are used to define aging and its effects on social relationships.
  • Balancing Independence and Togetherness in Relationships
  • Coping with Loss in Relationships: Navigating Grief
  • The Impact of Technology on Relationships in the Digital Age
  • Ways to Keep the Spark Alive in a Long-Term Relationship
  • The Art of Effective Communication in Relationships
  • The Impact of Social Media on Modern Relationships
  • Building Trust and Overcoming Betrayal in a Relationship
  • Overcoming Cultural Differences in Intercultural Relationships
  • Signs of a Healthy Friendship
  • Exploring the Different Love Languages and Their Impact on Relationships
  • The Future of Work Relationships in a Post-Pandemic World
  • Understanding Different Communication Styles in Friendships
  • The Impact of Positive Work Relationships on Employee Productivity
  • Ways to Strengthen Sibling Bonds and Create Lifelong Connections
  • The Importance of Shared Values in a Relationship
  • The Impact of Social Media on Friendships
  • LGBTQ+ Teen Relationships
  • The Influence of Birth Order on Family Dynamics
  • Navigating Cultural Differences in a Romantic Relationship
  • Cultivating Diversity and Inclusion in Work Relationships
  • The Role of Empathy in Building Strong Friendships
  • Relationship Between Teachers and Students in the Universities
  • The Power of Forgiveness in Friendships
  • Understanding and Overcoming Parent-Teen Communication Barriers
  • Recognizing and Addressing Toxic Work Relationships
  • Balancing Friendships and Romantic Relationships
  • The Evolution of Friendships Throughout Different Life Stages
  • The Influence of Work Relationships on Job Satisfaction and Retention
  • How to Apply Understanding Love Languages in Relationships?
  • How to Successfully Navigate a Long-Distance Relationship?
  • How to Stay Connected in Long-Distance Friendships?
  • How to Make New Friends as an Adult?
  • The Science of Attraction: What Draws People Together?
  • How to Keep the Spark Alive in a Long-Term Relationship?
  • How to Balance Independence and Togetherness in a Relationship?
  • Are You Enabling Destructive Behavior in Your Relationship?
  • How to Better Understand Your Partner’s Needs?
  • How to Foster Effective Communication in the Workplace?
  • How to Support a Friend Going Through Tough Times?
  • How to Set Boundaries in a Relationship and Why It’s Essential?
  • How to Break Free From Toxic Relationship?
  • How to Support Family Members Through Life Transitions?
  • How to Foster Healthy Independence in Children While Maintaining a Strong Family Unit?
  • What the Peer Support and Teenage Relationships?
  • How to Navigate Sibling Rivalry as Adults?
  • What the Importance of Positive Friendships?
  • What the Impact of Birth Order on Sibling Relationships?
  • How to Improve Sibling Communication Styles?

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Interpersonal Relationships Research Topics

In interpersonal relationships, two participants are interdependent, where the behavior of each affects the outcomes of the other. Additionally, the individuals interact with each other in a series of interactions that are interrelated and affect each other. Individuals form many different kinds of relationships with other people, some of which are intimate and close (e.g., parent–child, spouse–spouse, friendships) and others which are not intimate and close (e.g., neighbor, teacher–student). Most of the research on interpersonal relationships has focused on those relationships that are close, intimate, and have high interdependence. In an influential book, Kelley and colleagues (1983) define a close relationship as one that is strong, frequent, and with diverse interdependence that lasts over a considerable period of time. In sociology, although the classic distinction between primary and secondary relationships has been expanded in the public realm (fleeting, routinized, quasi-primary, and intimate secondary relationships), these close relationships (as described above) also can be categorized as primary groups, which provide support and nurture and socialize individuals to the norms of society. Read more about  Interpersonal Relationships .

Interpersonal Relationships Research Topics:

  • Close Relationships
  • Communal Relationships
  • Companionate Love
  • Complementarity
  • Dependence Regulation
  • Empathic Accuracy
  • Exchange Relationships
  • Forgiveness
  • Interpersonal Cognition
  • Intimate Partner Violence
  • Marital Satisfaction
  • Matching Hypothesis
  • Need to Belong
  • Nonverbal Cues
  • Propinquity
  • Romantic Love
  • Romantic Secrecy
  • Sexual Desire
  • Similarity-Attraction Effect
  • Social Exclusion
  • Social Support
  • Social Value Orientation
  • Transactive Memory
  • Unrequited Love

Future Directions in Interpersonal Relationships Research

Interpersonal Relationships Research Topics

Return to Social Psychology Topics list.

PsyBlog

10 Psychology Studies Every Lover Should Know

Psychology of love and relationships: The brain map of love, the role of kissing, how couples come to look similar, what kills a relationship and more…

psychology research topics relationships

“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.” ~ Antoine de Saint-ExupĂ©ry

The psychology of love and relationships has been examined by poets, philosophers, writers and many other artists over the years.

From the initial moment of attraction to growing old together, here are 10 psychology studies that all lovers should know.

1 . Falling in love takes one-fifth of a second

It takes a fifth-of-a-second for the euphoria-inducing chemicals to start acting on the brain when you are looking at that special someone.

Brain imaging studies of love suggest that 12 different areas of the brain are involved.

When looking or thinking about a loved one, these areas release a cocktail of neurotransmitters across the brain, including oxytocin, dopamine, vasopressin and adrenaline.

The brain gets a similar ‘hit’ from love as it does from a small dose of cocaine.

2 . Psychology of love: brain map

The first study to look at the neural difference between love and sexual desire finds remarkable overlaps and distinct differences.

The results showed that some strikingly similar brain networks were activated by love and sexual desire.

The regions activated were those involved in emotion, motivation and higher level thoughts.

This psychology of love suggests that sexual desire is more than just a basic emotion, but involves goal-directed motivation and the recruitment of more advanced thoughts.

Love is built on top of these circuits, with one key area of difference being in the striatum. This area of the brain is typically associated with the balance between higher- and lower-level functions.

3 . Psychology of love: kissing helps us choose

Two studies of kissing have found that apart from being sexy, kissing also helps people choose partners–and keep them.

In a survey, women in particular rated kissing as important, but more promiscuous members of both sexes rated kissing as a very important way of testing out a new mate.

But kissing isn’t just important at the start of a relationship; it also has a role in maintaining a relationship.

The researchers found a correlation between the amount of kissing that long-term partners did and the quality of their relationship.

This link wasn’t seen between more sex and improved relationship satisfaction.

4 . Couples look more similar after 25 years together

People who live with each other for 25 years may develop similar facial features.

One study  on the psychology of love has found that over 25 years of marriage the facial features of couples became more similar, as judged by independent observers.

This may be because of similarities in diet, environment, personality or even a result of empathising with your partner over the years.

5 . Psychology of love: long distance relationships

Contrary to the received wisdom, long distance relationships can work, according to research on the psychology of love.

Two factors that help keep long distance relationships alive are that these couples:

  • Tell each other more intimate information.
  • Have a more idealised view of their partner.

As a result, those in long distance relationships often have similar levels of relationship satisfaction and stability as those who are geographically close to each other.

6 . Four things that kill a relationship stone dead

For over 40 years the psychologist Professor John Gottman has been analysing the psychology of love.

He’s followed couples across decades in many psychological studies to see what kinds of behaviours predict whether they would stay together.

There are four things that kills relationships stone dead : repeated criticism, lots of expressions of contempt like sarcasm, being defensive and stonewalling, which is when communication almost completely shuts down.

7 . Modern marriages demand self-fulfilment

The face of marriage has changed significantly over the years, according to research .

It used to be more about providing safety and solidity, now people want psychological fulfilment from their marriages.

More than ever people expect marriage to be more of a journey towards self-fulfilment and self-actualisation.

Unfortunately in the face of these demands, couples are not investing sufficient time and effort to achieve this growth.

The study’s author, Eli Finkel explained:

“In general, if you want your marriage to help you achieve self-expression and personal growth, it’s crucial to invest sufficient time and energy in the marriage. If you know that the time and energy aren’t available, then it makes sense to adjust your expectations accordingly to minimize disappointment.”

8 . A simple exercise to save a marriage

If your relationship needs a little TLC, then there may be no need to go into therapy, suggests research on the psychology of love.

Instead, watching a few movies together could do the trick.

A three-year study finds that divorce rates were more than halved by watching movies about relationships and discussing them afterwards.

The study’s lead author, Ronald Rogge, said:

“The results suggest that husbands and wives have a pretty good sense of what they might be doing right and wrong in their relationships. Thus, you might not need to teach them a whole lot of skills to cut the divorce rate. You might just need to get them to think about how they are currently behaving. And for five movies to give us a benefit over three years–that is awesome.”

9 . The post-divorce relationship

Even after divorce, relationships don’t necessarily end, especially if there are children.

A study of co-parenting post-divorce has found it can go one of five ways, the first three of which are considered relatively functional:

  • Dissolved duos, where (usually) the father disappears.
  • Perfect pals, where parents continue to be best friends.
  • Cooperative colleagues, where couples move on but remain on a good footing with each other.
  • Angry associates, where the fighting continues after the divorce.
  • Fiery foes, where children become pawns in the fight and usually suffer as a result.

10 . Psychology of love: the little things

Finally, as we live in a highly commercialised world where we’re encouraged to think love can be bought and sold, it’s worth remembering that often it’s the small things that can make a difference.

A survey  on the psychology of love of over 4,000 UK adults found that simple acts of kindness are often appreciated the most.

Bringing your partner a cup of tea in bed, putting the bins out or telling them they look good naked may all do a lot more than a box of chocolates or bunch of flowers (although these won’t hurt!).

Psychology of love

As the German poet and novelist Rainer Maria Rilke said:

“Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky.”

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Author: Dr Jeremy Dean

Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology. He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004. View all posts by Dr Jeremy Dean

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170 Strong Relationship Topics for Academic Discussion

Table of Contents

The relationship is one of the interesting subjects with a lot of liveliness. A relationship refers to physical or emotional intimacy between two or more people. The majority of the topics on relationships focus more on people’s behavior and mental state. Hence, for writing Social Science or Psychology assignments, you can prefer relationship topics.

Relationship Topics

For discussion, there are endless relationship topics available. But, when it comes to preparing relationship essays, handle the topics from various angles by taking reality into account. For authenticity, explain the major points about relationships using real-life examples or evidence. Right now, do you want to prepare an excellent relationship essay or research paper? Are you looking for great relationship topics? Cool! We are here to help you out.

In this blog post, we have suggested a list of the top strong relationship topics for you to deal with. Continue reading and get more brilliant essay topic ideas on relationships. You can use the topics listed here for essays, debates, and group discussions.

How to Select a Good Relationship Topic

Are you unsure how to identify a perfect relation topic for an essay, research paper, or debate? If yes, then following these steps might help you.

  • Firstly, decide which area you want to focus on. In terms of relationships, you have the option of discussing anything from friendships to love, workplace bonding, and so on.
  • Next, search for and gather potential discussion topics in your area of interest.
  • Brainstorm all the gathered relationship ideas and refine them according to your instructor’s guidelines.
  • Review the shortlisted relationship topics and select the best one for your needs. Remember that the topic you pick should be relevant to your interests and include essential references. Furthermore, the subject should be unique, instructive, and entertaining for your intended audience.
  • Lastly, after you have decided on a topic, discuss it with your mentors and receive their opinions. Their advice will assist you in raising the caliber of your work.

List of the Best Relationship Topics and Ideas

The relationship is an amazing discussion subject. It is generally wide and can be addressed from different perspectives. For writing relationship essays, you can choose topics that focus on bonding with mothers, fathers, siblings, life partners, friends, or relatives. But while discussing make sure to consider various aspects like gender, age gap, expressions, culture, etc.

List of best relationship topics

Listed below are a few interesting relationship topics that you can choose for your assignments.

Simple Relationship Topics for Essays

Are you seeking simple relationship topics or ideas for academic essays? Get help from the list published here. In the list, we have provided some simple essay topics about relationships that will be easy for you to discuss.

  • The Relationship between Race and Gender
  • Relationship between Individual and Society
  • Gender Communication in Romantic Relationships
  • Pros and cons of a housewife.
  • Explain how to manage conflicts in long-distance relationships.
  • Our first impression regarding college professors is always right.
  • Does male parenting versus female parenting strictness work the same way?
  • What factors lead to rivalry between siblings?
  • Friendship Type – Companionship Relationship
  • Participative and Relationship Theories
  • What do you value in a relationship?
  • Where do you hope to be living in the next five years?
  • What was your first impression of me?
  • What is the most romantic place you’ve ever visited?
  • If you want children, how many children do you want?
  • Have you ever been cheated on?
  • What is the best gift you’ve ever given a partner?
  • What is your favorite love song?

Relationship Topics and Ideas for Debates

Do you need outstanding topics about relationships for debate competitions? If yes, then take a look at the list shared here. The list will give you some powerful relationship debate topics that you may take into consideration to bring significant change.

  • Can love be faked?
  • Is being faithful hard?
  • Marriage versus live-in relationship
  • Feminism – good or bad?
  • Is arguing a natural part of every relationship?
  • Coeducation versus single-sex education
  • Old age homes – good or bad?
  • Daughters are more of an asset than sons, for parents
  • Sex before marriage – right or wrong?
  • Is it okay to marry an older lady?
  • Family versus love of life – whom to choose?
  • Pros and Cons of Office Love
  • Love marriage versus arranged marriage
  • Online dating – threat or blessings?
  • Extramarital affairs – pros & cons
  • Should love always be a sacrifice?
  • The pros and cons of househusbands.
  • How does modern television shape our perception of love?
  • The portrayal of love in World Films.
  • Are long-distance relationships destined to fail?
  • How can love create miracles in daily life?
  • The portrayal of love in modern pop music.

Essay Topics on Love and Relationship

Here, we have listed some captivating essay questions that are related to love and relationships. From the list, select any topic suitable to your needs and then come up with a well-structured and engaging love and relationship essay.

  • Surviving heartbreak: males versus females.
  • Discuss the portrayal of love in Indian Movies.
  • The essence of platonic love between two males.
  • My favorite example of love is in literary works.
  • Is there such a thing as love in the purely American style?
  • Do opposite-character couples live in peace compared to people who follow the same vision?
  • Why do older couples show genuine love?
  • Mother-daughter versus father-son affection and love comparison.
  • Relationship, Task, and Process Conflicts at Workplace

Amazing Essay Topics on Relationship

Unique Essay Topics on Relationship

In this section, we have recommended some distinct relationship essay topics for you to begin with. When writing essays on unique relationship ideas, you will get a chance to improve your original thinking, fix unsolved relationship issues, and make your work stand out.

  • Creating a Healthy Loving Relationship
  • Why do feminists often turn to violence?
  • Can celebrities be true heroes?
  • Are online relationships real?
  • What is the red flag alert in a relationship for you?
  • How can you comfort a crying infant?
  • Address the emotional needs in long-distance relationships.
  • How have your friends changed as you were growing up?
  • Do people without parental affection grow up locked inside?
  • Should children be shielded from violence in the media?
  • How do children perceive politics?
  • Should teenagers be allowed to vote and participate in politics?
  • Parenting advice versus things we learn at school.
  • Is equality between all genders in the workplace justified?
  • What book has influenced you for the major change in your life?
  • Role of Scientifically Based Knowledge on Family Relationships
  • Influences of Abusive Experiences on the Performance of Nurse Practitioners

Relationship Topics for Group Discussion

In addition to debate contests, you may get the opportunity to talk on relationship-related subjects in a group discussion. Some great relationship-related ideas that can be covered in the GD round of an interview process are listed below.

  • Jealousy and love: is it justified?
  • Teenage rebellion: how did I survive these times?
  • When two individuals love the same person: emotional solutions.
  • Do we learn political preferences from our parents?
  • Can a person be happy on his or her own?
  • How do children define love?
  • The challenges of technology for the older generation.
  • How do we participate in volunteering work?
  • Love and responsibility: religious fear or character traits.
  • Family relationships and communication

Read more: Outstanding Music Essay Topics For Students To Consider

Captivating Relationship Essay Ideas

The relationship essay you develop should be captivating and thought-provoking to your readers. Hence, to achieve this, compose your essay on any engaging relationship topics. The following are some relationship topics and ideas you may select for crafting an attention-grabbing essay.

  • Childhood fears and adult phobias.
  • The role of social media in relationships.
  • Are we born with racial prejudice or do we learn it?
  • Social skills and creativity of autistic children.
  • The challenges of establishing strong relationships in the world of technology.
  • Attachment theory applied to family relationships
  • Relationship between job satisfaction and performance
  • The portrayal of friendship in “The Friends” TV series.
  • Family and Relationship Factors Predicting lives of the children of alcoholic use disorder
  • The Relationship between Social Workers and Inmates
  • How does divorce affect future relationships?
  • How do mobile games affect family ties?
  • The core pillars of Love Me.
  • What coping mechanisms do parents of disabled children have?
  • What can be done to make co-parenting more effective?
  • Effects of romantic jealousy on maintaining a committed relationship
  • Explore the relationships between self-esteem, self-consistency, and self-enhancement.
  • How is the married couple’s relationship affected once the children leave home?
  • How do families today deal with depression in the family?
  • How does family size affect children’s self-esteem?

Interesting Relationship Topics for Academic Papers

When it comes to preparing academic papers on relationships, always choose a specific, relevant, and meaningful topic that aligns with your field of interest and objectives. These are some fascinating relationship-based topics that you may consider for academic writing.

  • Healthy Interpersonal Relationship
  • Family Systems and Relationship Development
  • Father-son Relationship In The Odyssey by Homer
  • Relationship and Marriage Coaching
  • Hamlet’s Relationship with His Mother Gertrude
  • Break up of a Relationship
  • Cultural Competence and the Patient-Clinician Relationship
  • Should gay marriage be legalized?
  • Relationship Between Mothers and Daughters
  • Good Parent-children Relationship
  • Development Stages in Infant-Father Relationship
  • Relationship Advice on Conflicts Between Romantic Partners
  • Legal Issues of Ending a Relationship
  • Romantic Relationship Stages and Characteristics
  • Perception of sons versus daughters in African American families.
  • Counseling Interview in Family and Relationship Therapy
  • How to Ruin a Good Relationship
  • Violence in an Adolescent Relationship
  • Marital Satisfaction Inventory for Relationship Therapy
  • How would you interact with your younger self?

Popular Relationship Research Topics

To prepare your relationship research paper, you may select any of the popular study topics listed here. But when you examine a commonly selected research topic, rather than sharing existing information, approach the topic from multiple perspectives and develop an insightful academic paper.

  • Discuss the impact of romantic novels on the Perception of Love.
  • Explain the relationship between twin brothers
  • How Does Materialism Influence Family Relationships?
  • Why Parents Should Have a Special Relationship?
  • Discuss the Family and Relationship Benefits of Travel Experiences
  • Why do Women Stay In Abusive Relationships?
  • How Does Competition Affect the Relationship Between Innovation and Productivity?
  • Analyze the money issues in a relationship.
  • Explain attachment theory and romantic relationships.
  • Freedom in life and relationships.

Trending Relationship Essay Topics

For creating a relationship essay, you may select any of the trending ideas that have been recommended below. When writing a relationship essay on the latest topics, you will get an opportunity to inform the readers, promote empathy, and share valuable insights for personal growth.

  • African American households’ attitudes on boys vs girls.
  • the connection between a person’s occupation and musical preferences.
  • With your younger self, how would you behave?
  • Difference between a housewife and a married working woman.
  • The connection between a person’s occupation and musical preferences.
  • In 2022, would English boarding schools still be useful?
  • From 19th-century morals to contemporary freedoms.
  • Should young people be protected from media violence?
  • Discuss the implications of workplace romance on professionalism.
  • Focus on managing generational differences in the workplace.
  • Examine the social acceptance of LGBTQ+ relationships.
  • Explore the influence of Queer history on modern relationships.
  • Discuss how to overcome communication barriers in long-distance relationships
  • Suggest impressive ways to surprise the partner in a long-distance relationship.
  • How to navigate power dynamics in the workplace
  • How to build trust in transgender romantic relationships
  • Focus on disputes in relationships at the workplace.
  • Discuss the ways to overcome homophobia and biphobia in love.

Top Research Topics on Relationship

Do you want to compose a relationship research paper deserving of high scores? If yes, then from the list of top-rated relationship study topics suggested here, choose a topic that is suitable for you and develop a high-quality research paper after an extensive study.

  • Do our parents influence our political views?
  • How did I get through my adolescent rebellion?
  • Why do older couples express genuine affection?
  • The most shocking moments of my first trip to a foreign country.
  • How do we get involved in volunteer work?
  • Is it possible to be happy on one’s own?
  • When two people fall in love with the same person: emotional solutions
  • Is there a connection between jealousy and love?
  • Love and responsibility: religious phobias or personality traits?
  • What does love mean to children?
  • Is jealousy justified in love?
  • What does an open relationship mean?
  • Pros and cons of open relationship
  • Impact of Facebook and other social media sites on teenage relationships
  • Discuss the connection between the occupation and hobbies of a person
  • How do movies on crime impact relationships?
  • Analyze the role of trust and commitment in a happy and healthy relationship
  • Importance of respect in a romantic relationship
  • Role of gratitude and admiration family relationships
  • Analyze the importance of relationships with family and friends in life

Wrapping Up

To identify effective ways to deepen the connection and promote a stronger bond between partners, extensive discussion, debate, and research is happening on several relationship topics. In this blog, we have recommended a collection of relationship topics based on various aspects starting from trust and intimacy to conflict resolution and personal growth. When it comes to choosing a topic for your relationship essay, research paper, or debate, from the collection, select any topic that resonates with your interest and goals. All the comprehensive topics about relationships that we have suggested here will serve as a starting point for your reflection, growth, and meaningful conversation. In case, you struggle to identify an ideal relationship topic for your academic work or if you experience any challenges with preparing an evidence-based relationship essay or research paper, get immediate assistance from the subject experts on our team and complete your assignment.

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Well-Being and Romantic Relationships: A Systematic Review in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Mercedes gĂłmez-lĂłpez, carmen viejo, rosario ortega-ruiz.

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Correspondence: [email protected] ; Tel.: +34-957-218-966

Received 2019 May 28; Accepted 2019 Jul 5; Issue date 2019 Jul.

Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ).

Adolescence and emerging adulthood are both stages in which romantic relationships play a key role in development and can be a source of both well-being and negative outcomes. However, the limited number of studies prior to adulthood, along with the multiplicity of variables involved in the romantic context and the considerable ambiguity surrounding the construct of well-being, make it difficult to reach conclusions about the relationship between the two phenomena. This systematic review synthesizes the results produced into this topic over the last three decades. A total of 112 studies were included, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. On the one hand, these works revealed the terminological heterogeneity in research on well-being and the way the absence of symptoms of illness are commonly used to measure it, while on the other hand, they also showed that romantic relationships can be an important source of well-being for both adolescents and emerging adults. The findings underline the importance of providing a better definition of well-being, as well as to attribute greater value to the significance of romantic relationships. Devoting greater empirical, educational, and community efforts to romantic development in the stages leading up to adulthood are considered necessary actions in promoting the well-being of young people.

Keywords: well-being, psychosocial adjustment, emotional adjustment, optimal functioning, romantic well-being, positive psychology, PRISMA protocol

1. Introduction

Since World War II, most conceptualizations of health have been focused on the absence of illness and disability [ 1 ]. Psychology was concentrated on repairing damage within a disease model of human functioning [ 2 ], paying almost exclusive attention to pathology and neglecting the study of the positive features that make life worth living [ 2 ]. It is currently known that the absence of pathology does not necessarily correlate with positive dimensions of health and well-being [ 3 , 4 ], and psychologists have begun to admit well-being as a relevant aim of study, as well as the factors that contribute to its encouragement [ 5 ]. Positive psychology was recently established as a new perspective specifically addressing the study of well-being, quality of life, strengths, and resources [ 2 , 6 ]. Within this framework, diverse approaches have emerged. In a general sense, well-being can be understood as optimal psychological functioning and experience [ 7 ]. More specifically, some theorists have defined it as a state characterized by a high degree of satisfaction with life and the experience of high levels of positive affect [ 8 ], while others have focused on the notion of a process of fulfilling human potentials, capacities, and virtues [ 7 ]. Despite this systematization of the theory, the diversity of terminology found in the different studies has led to a certain degree of controversy. Although, admittedly, this situation has contributed to a productive scientific debate, it has also led to considerable ambiguity and theoretical and methodological confusion. On the other hand, these approaches represent mainly personal evaluations of what well-being means, and they deal only fleetingly with the social dimension of the individuals involved. In this sense, it has been previously established that the desire for interpersonal attachment (the need to belong) is a fundamental human motivation [ 9 ], especially when it refers to romantic relationships. So important is relatedness that some theorists have defined it as a basic human need, essential for well-being [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. For example, in their 2002 study, Diener and Seligman examined extremely happy people to determine necessary conditions for entering this group [ 13 ]. They found that good and strong personal relationships were ubiquitous in these people. Nevertheless, the topic of relationships is complex and close relationships are multifaceted, justifying with this a study of specificity, in terms of the aspects of relationships that can promote well-being [ 7 ].

1.1. Romantic Relationships and Well-Being in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

From an evolutionary point of view, adolescence and emerging adulthood (the periods which span the second and third decades of life [ 14 , 15 ]) have been described as being vitally important in terms of the development of romantic relationships [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Defined as “mutually acknowledged ongoing voluntary interactions” [ 18 , 19 ], these relationships, unlike others such as friendships, are characterized by a particular intensity, specific expressions of affection, and initiation in erotic sexual encounters [ 19 ]. Previous studies have shown that these experiences are frequent during adolescence and tend to consolidate over time [ 20 , 21 ], representing an important context for learning and training for future intimate relationships [ 14 ]. By middle adolescence, most boys and girls have been involved in at least one romantic relationship [ 21 ], providing them with a scenario characterized by greater intimacy, support, and importance as their age advances [ 22 , 23 ]. As adolescents approach emerging adulthood, the time they devote to their romantic partners increases [ 24 , 25 ], and they use these relationships to look for company, emotional security, intimacy, and the feeling of love they provide, until they reach a stage when they are ready to take decisions over questions of long-term commitment, such as cohabitation and marriage [ 26 , 27 ]. According to the developmental task theory, during adolescence, romantic involvement is an emerging developmental task, which will eventually become a salient developmental task in adulthood [ 28 ].

Romantic relationships and experiences are important sources of emotional bonding and contribute to the development of a positive self-concept and greater social integration [ 29 , 30 ]. The successful establishment and maintenance of romantic relationships can have important repercussions in later stages of life [ 15 ], and has been described to contribute to people’s mental and physical health and, therefore, to their well-being [ 31 ]. From this perspective, romantic relationships, when sustained over time, constitute a transformation of the attachment bond. The quality of the relationship, the history of the shared experiences, the sense of attachment, and the beliefs which arise from the whole experience have all been recognized as modulating the well-being of the partners [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ]. Despite the fact that the wide range of aspects mentioned in the research makes it difficult to establish how direct an effect these relationships have on well-being, there is a broad consensus in the literature that love is one of the strengths most closely linked to personal happiness [ 41 , 42 ], and is associated with higher rates of self-esteem, safety, satisfaction with life, positive affect, and achievement of personal and relational goals [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. However, romantic relationships have also been associated with negative outcomes, especially during adolescence. Thus, studies have suggested that romantic involvement may be related to the presence of different forms of violence [ 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ], experiencing internalizing symptoms such as depression or anxiety (e.g., [ 37 , 51 , 52 ]), poorer psychosocial functioning [ 53 ], or delinquency [ 54 ].

1.2. The Present Study

Following these considerations, the empirical evidence suggests the important role that romantic relationships can play in people’s well-being, however, the number of studies focusing on stages prior to adulthood remain relatively limited, consequently not providing clarifying results. Moreover, the wide range of intervening variables in the romantic context and the relative ambiguity of the concept of well-being make it difficult to draw conclusions. Therefore, a work of synthesis is required to gather together the accumulated empirical knowledge and facilitate an understanding of the findings made so far in relation to the association between well-being and romantic relationships in adolescence and emerging adulthood. To do this, the general aim of this study was to carry out an exhaustive review of the existing literature in order to delve deeper into this topic. In particular, a specific aim was established: To identify the variables of romantic relationships that studies have associated with the well-being of young people.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. literature search and quality assurance.

A structured search was carried out between July and September 2017 in the following databases of high-quality standards, which include peer-reviewed studies: Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Scielo. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) Declaration was applied [ 55 ], following its protocol for the planning, preparation, and publication of systematic reviews and meta-analyses [ 56 ]. The search terms used included keywords in Spanish and English which were considered to be indicators of well-being (bienestar*, well-being*, wellbeing*, “wellbeing”, felicidad*, happiness*, “fortalezas psicológicas”, “psychological strengths”, florecimiento*, flourishing*, “desarrollo positivo”, “positive development”) and keywords linked to romantic relationships (dating*, “relaciones sentimentales”, “sentimental relationships”, “relaciones románticas”, “romantic relationships”, cortejo*, courtship*, “relaciones íntimas”, “intimate relationships”). In order to achieve a comprehensive overview of the state of research in this field, the search did not include any specific terms (e.g., psychological well-being, subjective well-being, hedonia, eudaimonia, hooking up, friends with benefits, etc.).

2.2. Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria

The inclusion criteria were established following the PICOS (acronym for Participants, Interventions, Comparisons, Outcomes and Study design) format [ 57 ]:

Type of participants: Adolescents and emerging adults of both sexes, ranging in age from 13 to 29 years old, or those whose average age is included in that range, with no known mental disorders, and those of any origin or nationality.

Type of studies: Empirical studies written in English or Spanish and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Type of outcome measurements: In a first stage, studies were included which made explicit reference to the search descriptors in the title, summary, and/or keywords. In a second stage, studies were included with specific analyses of the link between romantic relationships and any of the previous indicators.

Type of designs: Quantitative and qualitative.

Additional exclusion criteria included theoretical studies, doctoral theses, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, book chapters, reports from conferences or symposia, letters to the editor, minutes of meetings or informative notes, and studies in which the authors did not provide information about the participants’ age.

2.3. Data Coding and Extraction

Three matrices of documentary records were created specifically for this work. In the first, quantitative data on the search results were collected for each database consulted and each of the descriptors used. In the second, information was gathered from each selected or unselected study (e.g., title, author/s, year of publication, sample size, age of participants, study objectives, methodology, or reason for exclusion, where appropriate). The third recorded the well-being measures and the specific variables of the romantic context analyzed by the studies. The selection of studies was performed in different stages [ 58 ] ( Figure 1 ). The identification stage was limited to articles published in English and Spanish between 1990 and 2017 (inclusive). This first phase yielded a total of 3229 studies. In the screening stage, the duplicates were discarded, which left a total of 2866 studies. Next, two reviewers selected the studies whose title, summary, or keywords contained any of the search descriptors used, which produced a total of 461 eligible studies and a total of 2405 rejected studies. In the eligibility stage, all the reviewers independently assessed the full text of the potential studies to be included, initially reaching a level of agreement of over 90% and resolving any discrepancies through a process of discussion and consensus. In the included stage, the three reviewers jointly agreed on the full sample of studies, resulting in a total of 112 studies. The software packages Mendeley version 1.17.12 (Elsevier Inc., New York, NY, USA) and SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) were used to carry out the process of coding and obtaining the results.

Figure 1

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) flow diagram.

3.1. Characteristics of the Included Studies

This work has reviewed nearly three decades of research (1990–2017) on well-being and romantic relationships during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Of the 112 studies included (see Table 1 ), 9% were published in the 1990s, 27% in the first decade of this century, and 64% were published since 2010. The total number of participants was 278,871, with the amount of participants ranging from 30 in some studies [ 59 , 60 ] to 81,247 participants in another [ 47 ]. The general age range was from 12 to 70 years, with the average age never surpassing 29 years in any of the studies. Overall, 83% of the studies (n = 93) were directed at emerging adulthood, while 17% (n = 19) focused on adolescence. Regarding the well-being measures observed, the studies analyzed used as many as 142 different variables, of which the most commonly employed were life satisfaction (35.3%), depression (25%), affect (positive and negative, 22.8%), self-esteem (17.6%), relationship satisfaction (15.4%), anxiety (11%), happiness (8.1%) and stress (5.9%).

Characteristics and main findings of the included studies.

Note: NR = information not reported.

3.2. Variables of Romantic Relationships Related to Well-Being in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood

Achieving the specific aim of this study involved reviewing the variables of romantic relationships which have been associated with well-being during adolescence and emerging adulthood. These variables were sorted into two categories: First, the label “relational variables”, where studies analyzing characteristics of romantic relationships and the processes that take place within them were grouped. Secondly, the label “personal variables”, which gathered the studies that examined individual variables involved in establishing, forming, and/or developing romantic relationships (see Table 2 ).

Categories, specific romantic variables, and measurement constructs of the included studies.

A total of 87 studies analyzed the association between romantic relationships and well-being based on relational variables. Relationship status, relationship quality, and relationship history and experiences were the variables most commonly focused on in the studies. In general, particularly during emerging adulthood, participants involved in a romantic relationship showed higher levels of well-being than those who were single. More specifically, it was suggested that staying single, either voluntarily or involuntarily, and remaining so in order to avoid the negative consequences of relationships (avoidance goals) was not associated with well-being, with the best predictor being satisfaction with that status. Particular aspects of relationship status, such as the stability of the relationship or the experience of splitting up, have been widely studied. Studies that equated commitment to romantic status suggested that a higher level of commitment or stability in the relationship (marriage vs. cohabitants, non-marital relationships, casual relationships, etc.) leads to a greater well-being. In this regard, a specific case analyzed was hook-up experiences. These expressions of sexuality, outside the context of a committed relationship, were only negatively associated with well-being in one study. Similarly, the experiences of separation or divorce have been identified with increased well-being if these events were evaluated positively, if the quality of the relationship was poor, or if a new relationship started shortly after the separation.

Along similar lines, the studies also evaluated the role of well-being in relationship quality, with relationship satisfaction, commitment and intimacy being the most common indicators. Throughout the periods of adolescence and emerging adulthood, high levels of quality in the relationship were positively associated with well-being, while, similarly, low levels of quality were linked to negative effects. In cases of transgression, the quality of the relationship was also identified as a mediator between forgiveness and the well-being of the transgressor. Close to the findings regarding relationship quality are those associated with relationship history and experiences. The studies in this line showed that reporting and remembering a large number of positive experiences, such as shared laughter, being at a formal or positive relational turning point, or expressing gratitude towards the partner, were all positively associated with well-being, while negative experiences, such as arguments, transgressions, power imbalance, or violence, were associated with a decrease in well-being levels.

When considered independently and not as indicators of the relationship quality, rates of commitment and intimacy between partners have also been identified as variables which can influence well-being: High levels of commitment to the relationship and intimacy between romantic partners were positively associated, where low levels of commitment showed an inverse relationship. Likewise, romantic attachment can also have important implications. The studies indicate that a secure romantic attachment would be most beneficial, while avoidant and anxious attachment have been suggested as reliable predictors of low levels of well-being.

Communication and conflict resolution between partners have both been identified as variables with a significant effect on well-being. On one hand, the disclosure of sexual problems and receiving positive body feedback from the partner were both positively associated with well-being, while on the other hand, showing high levels of positive affect in conflict situations was found to be a good predictor of relationship stability and satisfaction. Likewise, self-compassion and dyadic empathy (empathy specifically expressed towards the romantic partner) were variables found to have a positive effect, where more self-compassionate individuals were more likely to resolve interpersonal conflicts by balancing their needs to their partner’s needs, feeling more authentic and less emotionally turmoiled. Similarly, high levels of empathy in couples in the transition to parenthood led to improved levels of well-being in the partners.

Variables concerning need fulfillment and achieving relational and personal goals have also been identified as related to well-being. A partner’s support to personal needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Self-Determination Theory [ 8 ]), or the maintenance of relational behaviors driven by self-determined motives, were positively associated with well-being. Similar results were found in relation to the effects of the achievement of the ideal self and the congruence of the goals between partners. According to the studies, romantic partners can significantly influence what we become, having important implications for well-being, as well as the pursuit and involvement in activities aimed to achieve shared goals.

In the studies conducted during adolescence, violence occurring within the relationship (dating violence) in either form, both as a victim and as a perpetrator, has emerged as a highly significant negative variable for well-being, being associated to symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and low levels of self-esteem and life satisfaction, among other symptoms. Other relational variables associated with well-being during adolescence were the maintenance of same-sex relationships and interracial relationships, as well as sexuality. The negative impact caused by expected rejection due to sexual orientation was buffered by involvement in same-sex relationships, as well as improved self-esteem and decreased levels of internalized homophobia. Conversely, interracial daters were found to be more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, as well as to perceive less support from parents and family, compared to same-race daters and non-daters. In relation to sexuality, results showed that the influence of sexual activity in depression was differentially associated with romantic status, where sexual relations associated with greater depressive symptoms corresponded to those that occurred outside the context of a romantic relationship. On the other hand, longitudinal data associated high sexual health with higher levels of well-being in adolescent girls, using indicators such as physical, mental/emotional, and social health.

To a lesser extent, the studies reviewed addressed aspects related to relationship dynamics and their association with well-being. Research into emotional interdependence (i.e., partners’ emotions being linked to each other across time), shared relationship efficacy (i.e., partners’ shared expectations about the joint ability to maintain satisfactorily the relationship), partner-specific perfectionism concerns, or the effect of relationships at the neurological level has rarely been contrasted with other studies. Despite this, the first two aspects were established as characteristics of healthy relationships with a positive influence on well-being, however, concerns about perfectionistic demands of the partner (perceived partner’s expectations about one’s own mistakes, self-criticism, and socially prescribed perfection) generated and evoked socially negative behaviors, which in turn had a deleterious effect on negative affect and life satisfaction.

Regarding the personal variables, a total of 25 works studied their relationship with well-being. Here, the variable which received the most attention was the belief system. It has been shown that, during adolescence, the imbalance between romantic expectations and reality (romantic relationship inauthenticity) is associated with a greater risk of depression and suicidal behavior, while the Sense of Coherence (SOC), a dispositional orientation or a coping resource which reflects a person’s capacity to respond to stressful situations and life events, is linked with greater life satisfaction. In emerging adulthood, relationship expectations and beliefs were also suggested as factors influencing well-being. The congruence between previous expectations and reality, or between the ideal and the real romantic relationship, has been identified as a good indicator of well-being. There is no general consensus over the results for other kinds of beliefs, such as positive illusions (idealizing the partner), marriage myths, or benevolent sexism, although a number of studies have addressed them. The tendency is that the first two seem to be beneficial for well-being, while the latter showed a negative association.

In addition, certain types of behaviors, which may be induced by beliefs, also seem to impact well-being. On the one hand, behaviors which diminished satisfaction with the relationship, such as sexual compliance (voluntary maintenance of unwanted sex with a partner), have been negatively associated with well-being. On the other hand, behaviors linked to self-knowledge or positive management of the relationship, such as making attributions and reasoning about the mental state of others (i.e., theory of mind), self-control, authenticity (acting in a way which is congruent with one’s own values, beliefs, and needs), or the use of effective coping strategies in stressful events, were positively associated with well-being. In this sense, focusing on the problem or perceiving the situation as controllable had positive effects on well-being in cases of abuse or violence within the relationship. In less serious cases, maintaining an implicitly positive attitude towards the partner and mindfulness obtained similar results.

Regarding cognitive, emotional, and behavioral motivation, self-forgiveness or approach and avoidance motives were revealed as indicators of well-being. According to the analyzed studies, forgiving the partner or forgiving oneself, regarding harmful relationships events, was positively related to well-being. Moreover, engaging sexually with the partner increased well-being, but only when these motives were based on approximation towards positive consequences (e.g., happiness of the partner or promoting the intimacy of the relationship) and not on the avoidance of negative consequences. Similar results were found in relation to sacrifice. Self-sacrificing aimed at achieving beneficial goals, that is, pro-social behavior which gives priority to benefits to the relationship over personal benefit, has also been positively related to well-being. Conversely, emotional suppression, limiting one’s partner’s attention towards attractive alternatives, or the pursuit of traditionally masculine roles (e.g., success, competition, or power) negatively affected the partner. Finally, the level of romantic competence and other skills that promote the establishment and successful maintenance of relationships, such as perceived self-efficacy, or the ability to control relational anxiety, have been strongly linked to positive results, as well as a greater ability to make better decisions and feel more confident and satisfied with the relationship.

4. Discussion

The main aim of this study has been to carry out a systematic review of the scientific literature on the association between romantic relationships and well-being during adolescence and emerging adulthood, focusing on identifying the specific variables associated with well-being in the romantic context.

In the first place, it is important to stress that well-being has been historically been measured in many different ways. The great number of variables observed have produced a potential problem of construct validity. It seems clear that the multiple conceptual and operational definitions used in the empirical studies on well-being hinder rather than help when it comes to defining this construct [ 151 , 152 ]. It is therefore important to continue trying to bring clarity to a field which is still in evolution, with previous works and new approaches still trying to be integrated [ 6 ]. Although this has its positive side, it also highlights a greater need for improving the theoretical approaches, making them more global in terms of personality and also more precise in terms of the relationship between personality traits and relational styles in romantic processes. Another aspect which may contribute to the lack of clarity in the concept of well-being is the continued use of symptoms of mental illness as an indicator. While it is true that not all of the studies reviewed used this clinical approach, but rather adopted models from positive psychology (e.g., [ 22 , 33 , 44 , 85 , 97 , 98 ]), there is still a prevalent tendency to conceptualize well-being in terms of the absence of disease or clinical symptoms, rather than providing a positive approximation to the concept. This is quite surprising, especially considering that it has previously been established that health and mental illness work in a relatively independent manner [ 153 ], and that the factors which make either reduce do not necessarily cause the other to increase [ 154 ]. The concept of mental health proposed by positive psychology is therefore of particular relevance here, although the definition used (the existence of a high level of well-being and the absence of mental illness) [ 153 , 155 ] suggests the need to develop a methodologically diverse theory which would include the full spectrum of well-being [ 151 ] and to adopt a theoretical approach according to the concepts measured, which, as of yet, none is present in the reviewed works.

In the second place, it is clear that the scientific literature stresses the importance of romantic relationships during adolescence and emerging adulthood [ 18 , 156 , 157 ], however, the small number of studies which have focused specifically on these stages show that there is a need to provide a specific psycho-evolutionary focus. Based on the works reviewed, it can be stated that romantic relationships are significantly associated with well-being in adolescents, although a number of different personal and relational variables can be understood as risk factors. A low SOC, a lack of authenticity, or the presence of violence in relationships [ 37 , 48 , 49 , 59 , 78 , 83 , 108 , 122 , 142 ], are harmful to adolescents, all of which can be explained from different perspectives. On the one hand, according to the normative trajectory model [ 158 ], early romantic experiences can compromise the well-being of adolescents when dealing with non-normative development events. On the other hand, the stress and coping model [ 159 ] postulates that romantic relationships are intrinsically challenging, requiring skills and resources that adolescents may not have. Following studies like those of [ 160 ] and [ 161 ], it is also plausible to pose the counter-argument that high levels of well-being could act as a protective factor, promoting healthy behaviors. Research with adult populations has already established this association and suggests that people with high levels of life satisfaction are more involved in intimate activities and relationships and have better relationships [ 13 , 85 , 162 ]. The association between well-being and romantic experiences during adolescence seems, therefore, to operate under a bidirectional pattern of influence, revealing with this the existence of a more complex relationship between both processes. Besides this, it is also especially important to remember that the romantic development of adolescents does not take place in a social vacuum, so it is vitally important for the well-being of adolescents to have social contexts which provide support and emotional understanding as they face the demands and challenges that this new evolutionary task lays on them [ 163 ].

Just like in adolescence, involvement in romantic relationships can be a significant source of well-being in emerging adulthood. The research reviewed suggests that young adults who have romantic relationships are happier, feel more satisfied with their lives, have fewer problems with mental and physical illness, show greater positive affect, and have better levels of self-esteem than single people. However, as noted above, the phenomenon of romantic relationships is complex and multifaceted and is associated with both relational and personal factors, and not only with their presence or absence. The relationship quality, the satisfaction of the needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness and a secure attachment with the partner have been indicated as strong indicators of well-being [ 7 , 164 ]. In addition, variables such as high levels of commitment, intimacy, communication, providing support to achieve personal and relational goals, good conflict management, approach motives (in contrast to avoidance), authenticity, or having strategies for coping with stressful situations, are also associated with good results, as confirmed by other studies [ 165 , 166 ]. Finally, personal skills and having the competence to maintain healthy and satisfying relationships are important factors which, according to some studies, can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, increase satisfaction with the relationship, the development of a secure attachment, and foster better decision-making. For this reason, romantic relationships based on principles of mental and emotional health and romantic competence [ 23 , 167 ] are considered to be among the prime sources of well-being during emerging adulthood.

5. Conclusions

Based on these results, one of the main conclusions from this study is the invaluable role which romantic relationships play in well-being during adolescence and emerging adulthood. As a result, this work supports their consideration as developmental assets [ 14 ]. However, the numerous benefits which are associated with them call for certain parameters to be agreed on. A relationship which is beneficial for well-being would, in general terms, have high-quality levels, through which the partners can develop their potential, achieve personal and shared goals, and maintain a secure attachment. To achieve this, people must achieve certain cognitive, emotional, and behavioral skills. It is proposed that these principles be integrated into a more parsimonious analysis, which could aid our understanding of positive romantic relationships. From this viewpoint, this study proposes romantic well-being as a new term of analysis and suggests that in future research it can be understood and evaluated as a specific category. One of the main strengths of this work, therefore, is the initial approach of a new theoretical model, termed the multidimensional model of romantic well-being, whose dimensions correspond to the particular factors which, according to the research, play an especially important role in achieving positive results, namely relationship quality, need fulfillment, the achievement of personal and relational goals, romantic attachment, and the development of individual skills.

Regarding the empirical approach to well-being, the main conclusion here is that it is necessary to understand the concept of well-being in of itself, without continually referring to a disease or symptom. This distorts the construct and prevents from relating it to dimensions which are also complex and rather diverse, such as those involved in the psycho-evolutionary task of adolescents maintaining a romantic relationship. Therefore, further research is required to establish a common, shared, and reliable theoretical and methodological framework for well-being, also allowing the ability to address the scientific study of romantic relationships in stages prior to adulthood, especially during adolescence. It is essential to adopt educational, clinical, and community models which focus on the need to promote positive, healthy, and satisfactory relationships, as well as raising awareness of this need among all professionals responsible for people’s health.

Author Contributions

This study has been developed with the contribution of all its authors. Conceptualization, C.V. and R.O.-R.; Methodology, M.G.-L. and C.V.; Formal analysis, M.G.-L; Writing—original draft preparation, M.G.-L.; Writing—review and editing, M.G.-L., C.V. and R.O.-R; Supervision, C.V. and R.O.-R.

This research was funded by Plan Nacional, España, into the frame of the national project “Competencia Socio-Moral y EcologĂ­a del Grupo de Iguales en la Violencia entre Escolares: un Estudio Longitudinal y Transaccional” [PSI2016-74871-R].

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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  • Shakespearean Hamlet’s and Ophelia’s Relationship
  • The Relationship Between Theory and Research
  • Hamlet and Gertrude Relationship Analysis – Research Paper
  • The Relationship Between the Environment and Humans
  • How Cell Phones Affect Family Relationships: Essay Sample
  • Law and Medicine: Relationship Analysis
  • Confucius: The Five Great Relationships
  • Social Media: The Negative Impact on Relationships This analytical paper describes the dangers of social media platforms and how they can ruin people’s social and romantic relationships.
  • Music and Mathematics Relationship This paper seeks to show the usage of mathematics in music and avail information on the effects of listening to music on mathematics.
  • Relationships in “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakespeare “The Merchant of Venice” is a play written by William Shakespeare during the 16th century. The characters in the play demonstrate virtues of friendship, love, and hate.
  • “Night” by Elie Wiesel: Eliezer’s and His Father Relationship Eliezer the main character in Night encounters change on several occasions. This essay describes how the relationship between Eliezer and his father changes throughout the novel.
  • Relationship Between Concepts, Constructs, and Variables To develop the conceptual framework, it is crucial to define the concepts, constructs, and variables and understand their application in healthcare research.
  • Joyce Travelbee’s Human to Human Relationship Model Joyce Travelbee’s human-to-human relationship model argues that every patient is a unique human being who deserves to be provided with hope, motivation, and meaning while experiencing the illness.
  • The Relationship between Religion and Politics The paper will look at how various civilizations have regarded religion and the extent to which religion has been allowed to influence the direction of politics.
  • Odysseus and Athena Relationship in Homer’s The Odyssey Odyssey is one of the major poems written by Homer. It has been translated to a number of modern languages and originally it was expected to be sung, rather than read.
  • Literature: Relationships With Society Various aspects can be analyzed using different texts to show that literature is an essential aspect that impacts the behaviors of individuals in a society.
  • The Relationship Between the Environment and Development Environmental issues are some of the most popular topics for global discussion among the policymakers. Different countries face different environmental problems.
  • Relationship Between Morality and Happiness The role of morality in relation to happiness is essential. It defines the core principles and values of a person.
  • Relationship between Gods and Humans in The Odyssey The relationships between Gods and Humans in The Odyssey are layered and vital for the story. Find out how they affect the plot and Odysseus’s journey.
  • Relationship Problems and Disagreements All relationships have problems and disagreements. Lack of communication can be the start of a couple’s problems or the other way round.
  • Social Media: Impact on Interpersonal Communication and Relationships Social media has surpassed email as the primary method of communication with individuals from all around the globe. It has proved beneficial to some and harmful to others.
  • Arm Span vs. Height: The Relationship Analysis This study will demonstrate whether the men’s spread arms are equal to their height using the dimensions provided in the Vitruvian man illustration.
  • Social Media and Interpersonal Relationships Social media has undeniably impacted the nature of interpersonal relationships, and the result is rather ambiguous, although more negative changes can be identified.
  • Boeing Company’s Customer Relationships Management The focus of the paper is to give the definition of the notion of “being customer-led” and to analyze different customer-led programs on the example of Boeing Company.
  • Importance of Relationships and Family in Frankenstein Frankenstein’s novel talks about different thematic outlooks relying on what the reader identifies as the thematic impact of their modern culture.
  • Boyle’s Law: Pressure-Volume Relationship in Gases The purpose of this paper is to use an established mathematical relationship to determine pressure or volume gas when one variable changes at a constant temperature.
  • Father-Son Relationships in Homer’s “The Odyssey” By focusing on the father-son relationship, Homer reveals what was important to the ancient Greeks and what should still be important to us today.
  • Relationship with Father in the Book Night by Elie Wiesel In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, Eliezer experiences starvation, mental and physical abuse; the experience resulted to a change in relationship with his father.
  • Social Relationships: Why Do We Need Them? The consideration of quantity, quality, and diversity in the analysis of the pros and cons of social relationships helps individuals to accept change in their environments.
  • Virtual and In-Person Relationships: Comparative Analysis The lower rate of marriages compared to romantic partnerships among online daters may be due to the lack of exclusivity, commitment, and trust.
  • Aristotle’s View on the Relationship Between Soul and Body Aristotle’s work called “De Anima” represents a study of the question of the soul and is phenomenal for the time of the thinker.
  • Relationships in Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun vs. Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun” and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” are two novels that explore the complexities of human relationships in different contexts.
  • How Happy Relationships Affect a Person: Cause and Effect The paper states that happy relationships are affective. They impact a person’s physical and emotional health and can change an individual’s attitude in life.
  • The Glass Menagerie: Analysis of Relationships This essay will analyze the complicated relationship between the antagonists of the Glass Menagerie play Amanda–the mother and Laura—the daughter.
  • Hedda Gabler’s Relationships with the Men in Her Life The play “Hedda Gabler” reveals the lifestyle and thoughts of a desperate housewife who is limited by Victorian values.
  • Analysis of the Relationship between Strategy and Implementation of Change The development of internet technology has resulted into global interconnection amongst various organizations.
  • Relationship Between Poverty and Crime The paper makes the case and discusses inequality rather than poverty being the prime reason for people committing crimes.
  • Money Issues in Romantic and Marital Relationships Money often causes issues in relationships because of changing roles in the household, increasing expenses, financial infidelity, and lack of financial goals.
  • The Relationships Between Church and States in Europe This paper has explored the development of relationships between church and state in Europe in the period from 800 to 1122.
  • Single African American Mothers’ Relationships With Sons The research topic for this study dealt with the experiences of single African American mothers’ relationships with their sons.
  • Marriage and Family Relationships’ Role in Society In this paper, attention will be paid to such factors as social class, age, and other determinants of marriage in order to comprehend the worth of a family in society.
  • Intercultural Relationships and Communication An intercultural relationship is vital because it can help to learn new skills and gain diversified cultural knowledge.
  • Computer Communication and Its Influence on People’s Relationships The essay states that computer communication has excellent development opportunities currently, still it has some negative effects.
  • Son-Father Relationship in Elie Wiesel’s “Night” In “Night,” which is a semi-memoir dedicated to Elie Wiesel’s harrowing experiences in concentration camps, the topic of a father-son relationship is very important.
  • Marriage and Romantic Relationships: US vs. Trinidad & Tobago This paper aims to discuss the courtship and marriage customs in the United States and compare them with those from Trinidad and Tobago.
  • The Causes and Effects of Social Media on Relationships and Communication Communication has become easier and more complicated at the same time. The Internet has blended interpersonal and mass communication, making public and private lines less pronounced.
  • Customer Relationship Management at Southwest Airlines Discover how Southwest Airlines leads with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) for optimal process optimization, tech implementation, and strategy.
  • Extramarital Relationships and Their Causes It is crucial to consider the factors that influence the formation of extramarital affairs and find a way to eliminate the causes of such relationship issue emergence.
  • How to End a Relationship? In the instance when both parties are not comfortable with the relationship and they are ready to come out and share their feelings, ending a relationship is rather easy.
  • Business Relationship With Its Stakeholders This paper briefly looks at theories that explain a business relationship with its stakeholders. It then discusses stakeholders in the banking industry.
  • Cathay Pacific Airlines’ Customer Relationship Management This paper investigates the impact of customer relationship management in the airline industry and its contribution to the success of Cathay Pacific Airlines.
  • Nursing Theoretical Frameworks: Joyce Travelbee’s Human-To-Human Relationship Model In contemporary nursing science, there are numerous theoretical frameworks of various types, each describing a unique approach to caregiving.
  • Doctor-Patient Relationships in Medical Anthropology Doctor-patient relationships promote the physical and mental health of the patient and assist the doctor in providing the highest level of treatment.
  • The Work and Identity Formation Relationship Work is one of the vast parts of human lives because contributes to the moral development of people and is closely connected with the process of personality forming.
  • The Relationship Between Science and Philosophy The article discusses science and philosophy are the same things, but science is a modified version of philosophy.
  • “Sonny’s Blues”: Relationships Between the Brothers One of the main themes in the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is family support, essential for uniting the characters and allowing them to solve their problems.
  • Counseling and the Characteristics of Helping Relationships Counseling is a multifaceted process that involves the creation of friendship, active listening and elevation of an individual to make a wise decision concord to current challenges.
  • Pluralism Approach to Employment Relationship The paper discusses whether pluralism is the most viable approach to the modern employment relationship by comparing it with other structures and exploring neo-pluralism.
  • Symbiotic Relationship Between Cleaner Gobies and Fish Symbiotic relationship occurs only when different species are involved in intra-specific relationships (relationships within the same species).
  • Father-Son Relationship in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” Play The paper states that Hamlet’s struggle emanates from the death of his father. Although he becomes a villain at some point, he remained steadfast.
  • Relationship Between Korean Culture and Language This paper considers the English language peculiarities among Korean migrants to demonstrate the impact of national culture on forming the Korean language by using their contracts.
  • Environment and Health Relationship This paper aims to explain the relationship between health and the environment through a succinct analysis and identification of five objectives of epidemiology.
  • Relationship Between Strategy and Operations in an Organization The paper states that the relationship between strategy and operations creates a strong process for formulating decisions in running an organization.
  • Education and Income Inequality Relationship Income inequality is a great problem of every society since it widens the chasm between the richest and the most deprived people and negatively affects economic growth.
  • Rita F. Pierson and The TED Talk on Education and the Teacher’s Relationship With the Children Rita F. Pierson: the TED talk on education and the teacher’s relationship with the children they teach and discuss its traits as well as those of the speaker.
  • Impact of Social Media on Interpersonal Relationships: Changes and Trends Social media might be helpful sometimes, but their ability to alter human communication and violate privacy makes them harmful to interpersonal relationships.
  • The Relationship Between Identity and Language Native language is often taken for granted as something that people use intuitively but it has a critical role in building one’s identity.
  • Cheating or Infidelity in Relationships Infidelity in romantic relationships, both at the stage of dating and marrying, usually leads to the partnership’s destruction.
  • Relationship between Religion and Government The government and religion should not be related at all as an individual’s religious choices are personal. The paper shall look at the basis of this argument through examples.
  • “Night”: A Reflection on Elie’s Relationship with His Father By examining the changes in the relationship between Elie in his father, a reader may uncover the most insidious and dehumanizing consequences of the abuse that the two men experienced.
  • Wolf Motors Supplier Relationship Restructure: Urgent Need for Change There is urgent need for Wolf Motors to restructure its supplier relationship process. Wolf Motors should develop a long lasting and formidable relationship with reliable suppliers.
  • The Relationship Between Relatives in Sam Shepard’s Play “True West” This work explores the changing relationship between two brothers in Sam Shepard’s play “True West.” It analyzes the conflict between relatives.
  • Complicated Relationships between Parents and Children One can agree that family relationships are vital for the proper development of kids and the establishment of adequate morals and values.
  • Ghosting in Communication and Relationships Ghosting is the act of abruptly ending all communication with someone, especially with another person well-known to someone.
  • Why Doctor-Patient Relationships Matter Mutual understanding between doctor and patient influences the effectiveness of treatment just as much as correctly diagnosed and fully delivered medical care.
  • Descartes and the Mind-Body Relationship Driven by Descartes’s explanation of his mind-body relationship theory, specialists tend to ensure to distinguish between the brain and the mind.
  • Human Relationships and Happiness In this paper, the author states that building a solid relationship with one’s close surroundings is the fundamental principle of feeling happy and inspired.
  • Ethics of Infidelity and Cheating in Relationships When two people begin to desire, love, and eventually get intimate, they become vulnerable and open themselves to hurt while trusting that it won’t happen.
  • The Relationship Between Education and Recidivism Inmates who enrolled to earn a diploma in General Educational Development did not engage in crimes again as compared to those who did not enroll for such programs.
  • Developing Relationships in the Workplace Stakeholders are individuals and groups that the firm impacts directly or indirectly. Businesses must identify and prioritize the needs and expectations via surveys and feedback.
  • Attachment Theory and Romantic Relationships Attachment is a crucial personal characteristic that significantly influences an individual’s social life and romantic relations.
  • The Main Theses of Healthy Relationship A healthy relationship refers to a good relation with the people around you whereby there are no instances of quarrel or disagreements over given issues.
  • Romantic Relationship: Failures and Lessons Self-development is the final step before meeting the one who can make you happy and the final stride before developing successful relationships with this Mr. or Ms. Right.
  • Persuasion and Relationships in Negotiating and Disputes Effective persuasion is stipulated by a wide range of factors. Thus, a person who is willing to master the major persuasion skills must take certain steps so that to achieve success.
  • The Booking Firm’s Customer Relationship Management Booking.com is the world’s most famous hotel search and service. Due to this system, people from all over the world have been able to book a hotel room.
  • Mother-Daughter Relationship in “Flowers in the Attic” by Andrews, Virginia C. Flowers in the Attic by Andrews, Virginia C. deeply explores various topics related to child neglect, abuse, unhealthy parental dynamics, and family patterns.
  • Doctor-Nurse Relationships The interaction between team members in the health industry is extremely important as it might have an impact on the life of the patient.
  • Human Behavior and Social Environment Relationship The relationship between human behavior and the social environment is usually complex. Social workers should be able to apply various theories and knowledge.
  • Parent-Child Relationship and Its Effect on Adolescents The importance of parent-child relationships stems from an incredible level of interdependence that many families display when it comes to addressing family needs.
  • Cognitive Dissonance in Abusive Relationships The concept of cognitive dissonance can help explain a victim of an abusive relationship’s emotional state and psychological motivation.
  • Behaving in a Loving Relationship This topic is essential because divorce rates increase every year, and most people are not aware of the rules that may help maintain love, trust, and care.
  • Values’ Influence on a Romantic Relationship Through efficient research relying on recent articles, values undoubtedly or negatively influence relationships, depending on their pessimism or positivity.
  • Relationship Between Sports and Religion There is an interdependent relationship between sports and religion cause of the proficient impact on society and the attribution of the coherence.
  • Building Meaningful Relationships The relationships that people create with their contacts are critical in mobilizing resources to promote change in the community.
  • The Relationship Between Economic and Political Freedom Politics and economics have been inextricably linked throughout history, accounting for the rise of some of the world’s most famous empires.
  • The Relationship Between Drugs and Addiction to Crime Systemic crime emerges from the arrangement of drug circulation. It includes conflicts over the region in rival drug traders, attacks, and executions committed in involved groups.
  • Explaining Relationships: Types of Relationships Relationships that people go through every day include, first of all, their relationships with their parents and other members of their families.
  • Adult – Child Relationships in American Movies The following research paper is about the relationship bond of an Adult and a child shown in the American movies.
  • Business and Human Resource Strategies Relationship This paper discusses the reasons why it is necessary to have a close relationship between business strategy and an organization’s human resource strategy.
  • Parent-Child Relationships in the Novels “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov and “Sula” by Toni Morrison The problem of parent-child relationships is one of the most examined and actual eternal questions. This question concerns the problems of love and hatred.
  • The Employee Salary and Market Rate Relationship Paying employees over or less than the market rate has both advantages and disadvantages, affecting both parties and never leaving the winning party.
  • The Relationship Between the Range and Time of Flight of a Cannonball This work aims to establish the relationship between the range and time of flight of a cannonball as a function of its initial velocity of departure from the cannon.
  • Successful and Unsuccessful Relationships This essay outlines the findings from brief interviews with two acquaintances and draws comparisons between these perspectives and the discussions of relationships in course readings.
  • Wal-Mart: Managing Relationships with Stakeholders From an ethical and legal point of view, Wal-Mart needed to change some policies and continue to improve on some of its most basic strategies.
  • The Relationship Between Land and People A case on study was the December 26th, 2004 tsunami that killed over 230,000 people in 14 different countries.
  • Social Relationships and Work Social relations are an integral part of people’s lives and are a necessity at duty. Working interactions have an individual specificity, but friendship leads to many advantages
  • Collaborative Relationships Within Child Protection Work The discussion will be dedicated to the cooperation of professionals, support workers, governmental and non-governmental agencies, children, families, and communities.
  • The Relationship between Race and Sexuality Sexuality is a complex issue that affects everyone. People of different communities have a different understanding of sexuality.
  • African-American Mothers’ and Their Sons Relationship The research topic for this study identified the experiences of single African-American mothers’ relationships with their sons. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach.
  • The Impact Paternal Absence on Females Relationships This study will examine the impact paternal absence has on the way females (who were abandoned by their fathers in their childhood or adolescence) develop their intimate relationships.
  • The Role of Social Relationships in Childhood Development: Key Insights and Research Findings Development in children takes different forms and is influenced by a number of factors as will be discussed later in the paper.
  • Historical Overview of Uncle Sam’s Relationship with Santo Domingo The purpose of this paper is to review a media release in form of a cartoon. In this cartoon, American imperialism is depicted in the 1904 cartoon released by St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • The Parent-Child Relationships Theories Duties that a child has to his or her parents are unique. When it comes to parents, an individual is expected to do things that he or she will not do for other people.
  • Infant-Parent Attachment Relationship The quality of the attachment relationship between a parent and an infant will affect the child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development.
  • The Myth and History Relationship in Homer’s Iliad The paper will examine the connection between myth and history to comprehend Greek civilization through Homeric poetry.
  • Communication Technology: Impact on Personal Relationships The use of communication technologies makes information exchange complex because they do not reconcile individuals’ situations during the time of communication.
  • Benefits of Good Parent-Child Relationships The benefits of productive parent-child relationships are mutual – children affect their parents almost as much as their parents affect them.
  • Social Media and Mental Health Relationship The paper argues social media use can affect dire repercussions such as adverse mental health issues that’s why stringent measures should be imposed to avoid negative consequences.
  • How to Maintain a Long-Term Relationship The answer to how to maintain a long-term relationship can be simplified into one word – balance. The sense lies in the lack of balance between high expectations and reality.
  • Developing the Coach-Athlete Relationships One of the most crucial factors affecting the performance of an athlete is their individual relationship with the coaching staff.
  • Relationship Between Urbanization, Globalization, and People The relationship between urbanization, globalization, and people is one of the most interesting and provocative topics in many discussions.
  • Hamlet’s Relationship With Gertrude Hamlet’s conflict with Gertrude, his mother, reflects the difference in views between them and the young prince’s desire for imaginary ideals amid royal intrigue.
  • Peplau’s Theory of Nurse-Patient Relationship Peplau theorized the main goal of care is to create an interpersonal, therapeutic relationship to allow nurses to assist their clients in identifying their felt problems.
  • The Relationship Between Human Sinfulness and the Doctrine of Salvation The theme of the salvation of the human soul is central throughout the Bible. This paper examines one aspect of the Doctrine of Salvation, concerning human sinfulness.
  • Ethics: Dual Relationships Dual-role relationships are a very important topic in the social working area since they can affect both sides: the specialist and the client.
  • The Relationship Between Race and Crime in the United States The US media often mentions Latinos in the news when discussing drug trafficking and crimes related to crossing US borders.
  • Relationship Development Application Paper This discussion reveals that diverse concepts will always dictate and influence the rate at which human beings develop their relationships.
  • Approaches to Love and Relationship in Poetry The perceptions of love and relationship are continuously changing, and one of the easiest ways to trace this shift is through consideration of love poems.
  • The Relationship With Colleagues One of the direct reports, N, has a strained relationship with colleagues. He has been working in the position for more than two years, his attitude towards new employees has changed.
  • Breaking Free From an Abusive Relationship The problem of an abusive relationship and a woman’s role in it is vividly depicted in the movie “Enough” with Jennifer Lopez and in the book “Black and Blue” by Anna Quindlen.
  • Science and Religion: Historical Relationship This paper will discuss the historical relationship between science and religion including the areas of contention and agreement between the two.
  • The Race or Class and Sexuality: Relationship The relationship of class or race to sexuality can be talked about in different aspects, coupled with culture of the people in the given time.
  • Organizational Management and Performance: Inter-Organizational Relationships Organization as a system entails that there must be inputs which are to be processed in order to give an output. This output is optimal goal the organization strives to accomplish
  • The Processes of Building Connection and Relationships A situation in which someone reveals his or her feelings is always saturated with emotions and requires understanding and empathic accuracy.
  • Parasocial Relationships and Purchasing Habits The purpose of this study is to explore and analyze the connection between parasocial relationships, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) intentions, and the followers’ intent to purchase.
  • Impact of Relationships and Social Connection The concept of social connection is essential since it describes the experience of being close, linked, or connected to different members of a given society.
  • God’s Laws and Gospels Relationship In the Old Testament, God gave different laws to guide people on how to lead an acceptable lifestyle under the standards of moral behaviors.
  • Peer Relationships Impact on Adulthood Development The article by Marion, Laursen, Zettergren, and Bergman reflects the impact of past peer relationships on adulthood, focusing on buffered-effects and direct-effects models.
  • Enculturation and Family Relationships This paper will be devoted to the experience of enculturation affected by parents and their relationships and what impact it had on the family relationships.
  • Nursing: Human-to-Human Relationship Model Joyce Travelbee’s human-to-human relationship model was analyzed and evaluated according to four main stages of research. It is essential to restate the immense importance of this model for nursing.
  • Standard 2: Building Family and Community Relationships The paper discusses NAEYC Standard Two for Initial Early Childhood Professional Preparation aimed to improve skills in developing family and community relationships.
  • Diagnosis Disclosure and Child-Parent Relationship The paper aims to address the problem of child-parent relationships and their influence on diagnosis disclosure and the patient’s psychological well-being.
  • Complexities of Father-Son Relationships in Night by Elie Wiesel The relationships between a father and a son usually compose in early childhood. Reading Elie Wiesel’s Night, the relationships between the author and is father are presented in detail.
  • Healthy Marriage and Family Relationships This essay examines the significance of scientifically based knowledge on marriages and family relationships with a view of establishing how good choices increase longevity.
  • Eliezer and His Father: Relationship Reinforced in Marion Wiesel’s “Night” Marion Wiesel’s book titled “Night” has done a commendable job not only in documenting historical truths about some physical events that happened during the Holocaust.
  • Social Psychology: Love and Romantic Relationships Some believe that love is a fundamental human feeling, but others hold that it is a cultural phenomenon that results in part from societal constraints and expectations.
  • The Contractor-Customer Relationship Factors Business success depends on the quality of the company’s customer relations. Many factors need to be considered to build a successful contractor-customer relationship.
  • Communication Theories in Workplace Relationships As per the social penetration hypothesis, individuals progress from shallow to deep dialogues when trust is established via recurrent effective interaction.
  • How the Concept of Brahman-Atman Can Benefit Human-Environment Relationship The concept of brahman-atman can serve as a foundation for a more progressive view of the relationship between people and the environment.
  • Employee Relationships From a Biblical Perspective Building relationships with employees from a biblical point of view is one of the important elements for achieving cooperation, mutual understanding, equity, trust, and respect.
  • Legacy of Love: Elie Wiesel’s Exploration of Father-Son Ties Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night presents one of the most prominent works of Holocaust literature, which captures the author’s experience in Nazi concentration camps.
  • Money and Relationship in King Lear by Shakespeare King Lear, one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies, is a nihilistic story of destruction, money, and power conflicts that was originally performed in 1606.
  • Broken Relationships Aspects Discussion Nowadays, divorces are more acceptable in society, some people choose to be single parents, and some decide they do not need to be married to have a family.
  • Worker-Employer Relationship According to Bible Job is an influential part of a person’s life, and employees and employers must build good relationships. The Bible refers to them as interactions between a slave and a master.
  • Responsible Relationships and Abstinence Developing responsible relationships and remaining abstinent is crucial for adolescents and young adults, especially for their mental well-being.
  • Relationship Between Brilliance and Mental Illness There is a popular myth that no great genius can exist without a dash of lunacy. The history of genius is littered with the names of disturbed minds.
  • The Relationship Between My Laptop and Me Remote work was gaining popularity, and today, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost all areas of our lives have moved online.
  • Relationship Between the Medieval Music and Culture The study of medieval music allows the formation of a fairly complete picture of everyday and festive life at the court of the Middle Ages kings.
  • Entrepreneurial Networking and Relationship Capital In modern business, entrepreneurial networking and relationship capital have already attracted particular attention. This work aims to examine the importance of these concepts.
  • The Federal Reserve and the Bible Relationship The bank is well-equipped to submit any misrepresentation, violating biblical and moral standards. This paper discusses the relationship between the Federal Reserve and the Bible.
  • Relationship Between the Past and the Present in “Kindred” Novel The idea that permeates through the Kindred novel is one that the past and the present are deeply intervened: often, in more ways than one is accustomed to think they are.
  • Christianity and Sports: The Relationship Analysis Some churches strongly opposed sports events and sports in general, as they believed that sports distracted them from worshipping God and prayers.
  • Morality Policy Making: The Relationship between Politics and Morality This paper discussed the nature of morality policy making as a popular tool amongst certain political factions, as well as its ethically flawed outcomes.
  • The Impact of My Emotional Intelligence on Personal Relationships Emotional intelligence is a specific capacity that has a significant influence on both professional and personal relationships.
  • Interpersonal Relationships in the Movie Crash The movie Crash (2004) raises multiple essential topics, and some of the described issues are still acute in society.
  • Industry vs. Inferiority Relationships School plays an essential role as the teachers and classmates help one progress through industry and inferiority.
  • Leadership Followership Relationship The text explains that true leaders have and need followers as being a titled leader does not make any individual a leader.
  • The Relationships Among Tests and Scales, Populations, Reliability and Validity
  • Analyzing the Relationship Between Gender and Victimization
  • The Relationship Between Air Temperature and Relative Humidity
  • Interpersonal Relationships and Risk Perception
  • Rogers and a Therapeutic Relationship
  • My Relationships With the English Language and English Skills
  • GE Energy and GE Healthcare: Strategic Customer Relationships
  • Freedom in Life and Relationship
  • Marketing: Good Relationship With Customers
  • Parapsychology and Psychology Relationships
  • Relationship Between Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, Decision-Making, and Stress Management in Nursing
  • International Relationships and Foreign Policy in American Movies
  • Body-Mind Relationship in Psychobiology
  • Employee Burnout and Vacation Length Relationship
  • Importance of Professional Relationships in Effective Healthcare Delivery
  • Behavior and Relationships in the Workplace
  • Building Family and Community Relationships
  • Family Relationship in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
  • Communication Milestones in Relationships
  • The Relationship of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son
  • Door-to-Door Sales and Personal Relationships
  • Trends in Relationships in the Board of Directors and the CEOs
  • Polyandrous Relationships and Their Key Features
  • Religious Beliefs and Ecology Relationship
  • Social Networks’ Impact on Relationships
  • Double Standard in Sexual Relationships
  • Standard Employment Relationship in Canada
  • Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema Relationship
  • Identities within Relationships
  • Coach and Athlete Relationship
  • Technology and Dating: Social Media and Committed Relationships
  • Industrialization Impact on Men and Women Relationship
  • Football in Ghana and Its Relationship with the Rest of the World (Player Transfers)
  • Principal-Agent Relationships: Business Law Concept
  • Mother-Adult Daughter Relationships Within Dementia Care
  • Bullying and School Drop Out Rate Relationship Analysis
  • Implementation of a Customer Relationship Management
  • Problems Which Ruin Relationships
  • The Relationship of Leadership to the Politics of the Organization
  • The Analysis of the Structure of Human Relationships
  • Explaining the Impact of Birth Order on Siblings’ Relationships
  • Retail Environment: Employee Relationship, Channel Strengths and Weaknesses
  • McClelland’s Theory: Organizational Relationships
  • The Relationship Between Understaffing of Nurses and Patient Safety in Hospitals
  • Education & Interpersonal Relationships in Family
  • Technological Influence on Personal Relationships
  • Integrity in Relationships and Leadership
  • Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.’s Supply Chain Relationships
  • Human Becoming Theory in Patient-Nurse Relationships
  • Malcolm X’s Relationship with the Nation of Islam: Ideological and Social Impacts
  • The Relationship Between Sensory Perception and Brain Interpretation: Key Insights
  • Center Parcs Company: Customer Relationships Management
  • Art and Science Relationship in Nursing
  • The Impacts of Divorce on Family Relationships
  • Eliezer and His Father in “Night”: Evolving Roles and Relationships
  • Dangers of Tanning Booths: Higher Cancer Risk Than Sun Exposure
  • Reliability and Character-Based Trust in Customer Service
  • Depictions of Man’s Relationship with Divinity in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton’s Paradise Lost
  • Love and Hate: Relationships in Shakespearian Othello and Life
  • Nonverbal Communication: Exploring Relationship Dynamics
  • The Autism-Gender Relationship Analysis
  • The Nature of Leadership as an Organizational Relationship
  • The Relationship Between Task Duration and Direct Resource Cost
  • The Ethical Principle of Dual Relationships
  • Doctor-Nurse Relationships: Lessons Learnt
  • The Fourth Amendment and Technology Relationship
  • Romantic Relationships Built With Dating Apps
  • The Reverse Logistics and Sustainability Relationship
  • The US-Israel Relationship and Foreign Challenges
  • Relationships and Christian Morality
  • The Therapeutic Couple: Non-Working Relationships
  • The Relationship Between Sustainable Development and a High Standard of Living
  • The Theme of Relationships in “Hills Like White Elephants” and “Indian Camp” by Hemingway
  • A Care Ethics Position: Doctor-Patient Relationships
  • Collaboration: Impact on Employee Relationships
  • The Relationship Between Native Americans and White Settlers
  • The Brain Structure and Cognition Relationship
  • Critical Racial Theory and Interracial Relationships
  • Unveiling the Relationship Between CSR and Employee Turnover
  • Economic Inequality and Its Relationship to Poverty
  • Database Diagrams and Relationships
  • The Relationship Between Gender and GPA
  • The Theology and Science Roles and Relationships
  • Father-Son Relationships in “Night” by Elie Wiesel
  • Supply Chain Processes and Relationship Management
  • Causal Relationships Between Variables
  • Analysis TED Talk Outline: Broken Relationship
  • The Similarity in Reasons to Start and End a Romantic Relationship
  • The Relationship Between Internal and External Customers
  • Therapy for Building Meaningful Relationships
  • The Yoga Ethics in a Student-Teacher Relationship
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

The psychology of romantic relationships: motivations and mate preferences.

Eugene Tartakovsky

  • The School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

Introduction: This study investigates motivations to engage in romantic relationships. We examine the structure of romantic motivations and their connections with personal values and mate preferences.

Method: The study was conducted in Israel among young men and women looking for a romantic partner ( n  = 1,121, 40% male, age 18–30).

Results: Data analysis demonstrated that basic romantic motivations form a circumplex that may be partitioned into four higher-order romantic motivations: love and care, family and children, status and resources, and sex and adventure. The romantic motivations formed a meaningful pattern of connections with higher-order values, thus confirming that context-specific motivations are derived from general motivational goals expressed in values. Personal value preferences and romantic motivations predicted the sought-after partner characteristics over and above sociodemographic variables. Values were indirectly (through romantic motivations) and directly connected to mate preferences.

Discussion: The study advances our understanding of romantic relationships among young people and opens new directions for research and counseling.

There are so many books on how to get married and not one on why. Anonymous

Introduction

This study focuses on the motivational aspects of romantic relationships. We define romantic relationships as those based on the emotional and physical attraction that could lead to long-term intimate relationships. We focus on young people looking for romantic relationships, i.e., those who presently have no romantic partner but are interested in finding a boy/girlfriend. We strive to understand what motivates young people to engage in romantic relationships, how their romantic motivations are related to the general motivational goals reflected in their value preferences, and whether romantic motivations and values can predict the sought-after characteristics of the partner.

Our study is based on the theory of human values ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Schwartz, 2017 ). This general psychological theory presents a comprehensive system of human motivations corroborated as near-universal across different cultures ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Sagiv and Schwartz, 2022 ). Numerous studies have demonstrated that values affect human cognition, emotions, and behavior ( Schwartz, 2017 ; Sagiv and Roccas, 2021 ). However, they have rarely been applied to the study of romantic relationships.

Motivations for romantic relationships

Previous studies on pre-marriage romantic motivations focused on motivations to engage in sexualized relationships – “hookups” ( Uecker and Stokes, 2008 ; Townsend et al., 2020 ; Weitbrecht and Whitton, 2020 ; Thorpe and Kuperberg, 2021 ) and dating motivations ( Rempel et al., 1985 ; Jones, 1993 ; Smiler, 2008 ; Keramat et al., 2013 ; Bryant and Sheldon, 2017 ; Timmermans and Alexopoulos, 2020 ). These studies assumed that people have numerous motivations to engage in romantic relationships. Thus, considering motivations for sexualized romantic relationships (hookups), researchers mention getting an experience, sexual experimentation, physical pleasure, fun, excitement, feeling attractive, escaping loneliness, increasing social status, answering social expectations, and following a social script ( Uecker and Stokes, 2008 ; Weitbrecht and Whitton, 2020 ; Thorpe and Kuperberg, 2021 ). The list of dating motivations included social status, approval from others, new opportunities, sex, emotional support, adventure, curiosity, love, companionship, a step to marriage, care, and empathic concern ( Rempel et al., 1985 ; Bryant and Sheldon, 2017 ). Several researchers clustered basic romantic motivations into higher-order motivations. One partition distinguished between autonomous (e.g., fun) and non-autonomous motivations (e.g., fulfilling others’ expectations) ( Townsend et al., 2020 ). Another classification distinguished between extrinsic (e.g., social status), instrumental (e.g., emotional support), and intrinsic (e.g., mutual comfort) romantic motivations ( Rempel et al., 1985 ).

Other researchers focused on marriage motivations. ( Eekelaar, 2007 ; Park and Rosén, 2013 ; Czyżkowska and Cieciuch, 2020 ). Thus, in a qualitative study conducted among women in the UK, the participants reported that marriage provided them with reproductive, financial, and legal security ( Carter, 2018 ). Specifically, they noted that marriage raised their social status, provided them with economic resources, and increased the security of their children. Moreover, many women connected marriage with tradition. They also said marriage is desirable because it is traditional, natural, and “normal”; not marrying is undesirable, abnormal, and socially unacceptable. Another qualitative study in the UK demonstrated that some people marry because they comply with the convention, i.e., follow religious rules or prescriptions, social or cultural practices, and their parents’ wishes ( Eekelaar, 2007 ).

A quantitative study conducted in the US found six reasons for marriage: romance, respect, trust, finances, meaning, and physical ( Park and Rosén, 2013 ). A 2010 Pew Research Center survey investigating the reasons to marry in the US found that love, indeed, wins all, followed by companionship, having children, and financial stability. Answering the question about the advantages of being married over single, respondents mentioned having a fulfilling sex life, being financially secure, finding happiness, getting ahead in a career, and having social status ( Cohn, 2013 ).

Studies conducted in Russia distinguished between biological, sociocultural, economic, and psychological motives of marriage ( Fedoseeva and Ivanova, 2018 ). Among the most common motives were an escape from parents, a sense of duty, an escape from loneliness, and following a tradition. Love, prestige, and the search for material wealth took the last places in this ranking. In addition, the following reasons were mentioned: understanding, psychological support, being an authentic self, self-realization, and having and raising children. Finally, a study conducted in Nigeria found that when considering marriage, people consider parental pressure and social norms, economic survival, connection with wealthy and powerful individuals, domestic help, guaranteed support, and reproductive tasks ( James, 2010 ).

The literature review demonstrates that in most studies, romantic motivations were used as a list of non-related entities; they remained unsystematized (for exemptions, see Rempel et al., 1985 ; Jones, 1993 ; Townsend et al., 2020 ), and the connections between them remained unclear ( Eekelaar, 2007 ; James, 2010 ; Cohn, 2013 ; Park and Rosén, 2013 ; Hurt, 2014 ; Carter, 2018 ; Fedoseeva and Ivanova, 2018 ; Thorpe and Kuperberg, 2021 ). Most existing studies on romantic motivations are not theory-driven. Therefore, we need a theory that will permit us to systematize numerous motivations for romantic relationships into a meaningful structure and explain connections between them and other variables.

Theory of human values

Values are cognitive constructs defining desirable trans-situational goals and ordered by importance; they represent people’s motivations and provide a basis for attitudes and behavior ( Schwartz, 2006 ). The present study is based on Schwartz’s theory of values ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Schwartz, 2017 ). In its most recent formulation, the theory specifies a comprehensive set of 19 motivationally distinct values: power (dominance and resource), achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction (thought and action), universalism (nature, concern, and tolerance), benevolence (caring and dependability), humility, tradition, conformity (rules and interpersonal), security (personal and social), and face ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ).

The theory assumes the existence of dynamic relations between the values in that the pursuit of each value has consequences that may conflict or may be congruent with the pursuit of other values. The conflicts and congruities among basic values yield an integrated structure of four higher-order value types arrayed along two orthogonal dimensions: self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement and openness to change vs. conservation. Openness to change values (including self-direction and stimulation) emphasize readiness for new ideas, actions, and experiences. They contrast with conservation values (including conformity, tradition, and security) that emphasize self-restriction, order, and preserving the status quo. Self-enhancement values (including power and achievement) emphasize pursuing one’s interests. They contrast with self-transcendence values (including universalism and benevolence) that emphasize transcending one’s interests for the sake of others. Three values overlap between two higher-order value types: face (conservation and self-enhancement), hedonism (openness and self-enhancement), and humility (self-transcendence and conservation) ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ).

Researchers assume that personal value preferences affect the individual’s attitudes, behavior, and emotions because values express general motivational goals in human life ( Schwartz, 2017 ). Several psychological mechanisms explaining the effect of values have been suggested; however, the valence mechanism is probably the most crucial ( Hitlin, 2003 ; Sagiv and Roccas, 2021 ). This mechanism assumes that people choose specific attitudes, behaviors, and emotions to attain the general motivational goals reflected in their value preferences ( Schwartz, 2017 ). The existence of the valence mechanism has been confirmed in numerous studies regarding a wide range of behaviors and emotions ( Tamir et al., 2016 ; Sagiv and Roccas, 2021 ); however, it has not been investigated in the context of romantic relationships.

Conceptualization of romantic motivations

We assume that general motivational goals expressed in personal value preferences provide a foundation for all other motivations in human life. We further assume that people formulate (or may formulate) specific motivational goals they strive to achieve in each context. The context-specific goals are derived from general motivational goals reflected in values. The connection of context-specific to general goals is twofold. First, the content of each context-specific goal is related to the corresponding general motivational goal (or several such goals). Second, the structure of context-specific goals (the commonalities and contradictions between them) parallels (probably, with some exemptions) the values’ structure. That means that basic context-specific motivations constitute a circumplex that may be divided into higher-order motivations that parallel higher-order values. Finally, we assume that general motivational goals affect attitudes and behaviors directly and indirectly through their connections with context-specific motivations. The idea of context-specific motivations connected to values has been recently suggested for investigating copying with COVID-19 and the energy crisis ( Liscio et al., 2022 ), artificial intelligence ( Masso et al., 2023 ), and marriage ( Czyżkowska and Cieciuch, 2020 ). In the present study, we apply the concept of context-specific motivations to the investigation of romantic motivations.

Developing the concept of romantic motivations, we assumed that when looking for a partner, people aspire to attain motivational goals that are attainable in romantic relationships. We further assumed that individuals derive their romantic motivational goals from their general motivational goals expressed in their value preferences. Therefore, romantic relationships are a vehicle for attaining specific motivational goals that express general motivational goals in the context of romantic relationships. Thus, romantic motivational goals may have different importance across individuals following their value preferences. Finally, we assumed that the choice of a romantic partner depends on the motivational goals of the individual, i.e., people look for a partner who will best help them attain their motivational goals.

Building the romantic motivations scale

We built the scale measuring romantic motivations in several steps. First, we collected romantic motivations mentioned in the research literature and, when required, reformulated them to fit the situation of looking for a boy/girlfriend. In addition, we conducted interviews with about 80 young people from different ethno-religious groups in Israel, asking them about their motivations for seeking a girl/boyfriend. Thus, we created a comprehensive list of romantic motivations. After that, with a group of students applying the inter-judges’ agreement, we discarded repeated items and reformulated some items to make them clearer ( Taherdoost, 2016 ). Then, we used the inter-judges’ agreements with a colleague researcher, an expert in value theory, to decide to which basic motivation each item belongs and to which higher-order motivational cluster each basic romantic motivation belongs, paralleling the values’ circumplex ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Czyżkowska and Cieciuch, 2020 ). Thus, we formulated 14 basic motivations people pursued in their quest for romantic relationships and generated a list of items measuring each motivation. We did not find romantic motivations related to security (social), conformity (rules), humility, and universalism values. Motivational goals represented in these values are probably unattainable in romantic relationships. Table 1 lists values, general motivational goals, and basic romantic motivations. Appendix Table A1 presents basic romantic motivations and the corresponding scale items.

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Table 1 . Values, general motivational goals, and basic romantic motivations.

Based on the similarities between romantic motivations and general motivational goals reflected in values, we hypothesized that basic romantic motivations form a circumplex paralleling the values’ circumplex, which might be partitioned into four higher-order romantic motivations (clusters of basic romantic motivations), each related to a higher-order value (H1):

1. A cluster related to openness to change values includes the following romantic motivations: psychological growth, independence from parents, escape from loneliness, and sexual satisfaction.

2. A cluster related to self-enhancement values includes the following romantic motivations: social advancement, control over the other, economic benefits, and gaining respect.

3. A cluster related to conservation values includes obligations to raise a family, finding a partner for childbearing and childrearing, resolving social pressure to find a partner, finding emotional support, and feeling loved.

4. Care for the other through romantic relationships is related to self-transcendence values.

5. Romantic motivations derived from opposing higher-order values are located on opposite sides of the circumplex: the first and third motivational clusters oppose each other, as well as the second and fourth clusters.

The effect of socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations

Several studies have investigated the effects of socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations. When reporting on their motivation for hookups and other sexualized romantic relationships, women placed a greater emphasis on love, commitment, and initiating or solidifying relationships, while men were more likely to endorse pleasure, self-affirmation, status, and peer conformity as their motives ( Smiler, 2008 ; Weitbrecht and Whitton, 2020 ; Thorpe and Kuperberg, 2021 ). The gender differences in marriage motivations indicated that women more than men marry for economic security and religious reasons, while men more often than women seek the satisfaction of sexual needs ( Blakemore et al., 2005 ; Spivey, 2010 ; Gittins, 2017 ; Carter, 2018 ).

Data regarding ethnic and racial differences in romantic motivations is scarce. In one study, men and women of color in the US reported a stronger motivation for sex in hookups ( Uecker et al., 2015 ). However, when considering marriage, black women reported a stronger economic motivation than white women, and both genders reported more religious motivations for marriage than whites ( Bulcroft and Bulcroft, 1993 ; Edin, 2000 ; Hurt, 2014 ).

The motivation to create a family was stronger among young religious dating people than non-religious people ( Fuller et al., 2015 ). At the same time, highly educated and non-religious young people reported stronger marriage motivations related to sex, pleasure, and mutual care ( Eekelaar, 2007 ; Hurt, 2014 ; Fedoseeva and Ivanova, 2018 ).

Previous studies applied evolutionary and biosocial role theories to explain the effects of socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations ( Bulcroft and Bulcroft, 1993 ; Eekelaar, 2007 ; Smiler, 2008 ). In the present study, we applied the values theory to formulate our hypotheses on the effect of socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations ( Schwartz, 2017 ). As explained above, we assumed that romantic motivations are derived from general motivational goals expressed in personal value preferences. Therefore, we assumed that connections of socio-demographic variables with romantic motivations parallel their connections with values. The connections between socio-demographic variables and values are well-studied ( Sagy et al., 2001 ; Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Schwartz, 2017 ; Walsh and Tartakovsky, 2021 ; Tartakovsky, 2023 ). At the level of higher-order values, a higher preference for openness to change and a lower preference for conservation values are associated with a younger age, being a male, a higher level of education, a lower level of religiosity, and being Jewish vs. Arab Israeli. A higher preference for self-transcendence and a lower preference for self-enhancement values is associated with an older age, being a female, being Jewish vs. Arab Israeli, and having a higher level of education. In line with the results of previous studies, we formulated the following hypotheses related to the connections between socio-demographic variables and romantic motivations:

H2 : A higher preference for romantic motivations related to openness to change values and a lower preference for romantic motivations related to conservation values are associated with a younger age, being a male, a higher level of education, being a Jewish Israeli, and a lower level of religiosity. H3 : A higher preference for romantic motivations related to self-transcendence values and a lower preference for romantic motivations related to self-enhancement values are associated with an older age, being a female, being a Jewish Israeli, and a higher level of education.

Mate preferences

Most existing studies on mate preferences have focused on the issues of universality in the ranking and gender similarities and differences ( Buss et al., 2001 ). The results of these studies have been unequivocal: Both genders prefer a mate who is kind, intelligent, and healthy; however, there are cross-cultural gender differences related to the resources and fertility characteristics of the mate. Women, more than men, prefer long-term partners with the ability to acquire and confer resources, while men, more than women, prefer partners with high reproductive value, indicated by attractiveness and relative youth ( Walter et al., 2020 ). Two theories explain the gender differences in mate preference. The evolutionary theory states that gender differences result from women facing a larger reproductive investment than men. Biosocial role theory claims that gender differences result from the behaviors that men and women cultivate based on societal expectations of gender roles ( Buss et al., 2001 ; Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ).

Another universal finding regarding mate preferences relates to assortative mating: In all cultures and social groups, individuals prefer partners similar to them ( Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ; Cooperman and Waller, 2022 ). Moreover, couples of similar spouses are more stable and happier in relationships ( Buss et al., 2001 ; Luo, 2017 ). Different socio-psychological mechanisms explaining assortative mating have been suggested, including personal preferences, mating market operation, social homogamy, and convergence ( Luo, 2017 ). No gender differences in assortative mating have been assumed, and we found no empirical studies on this issue. However, one study demonstrated that higher education was associated with a higher importance of similarity in the partner ( Whyte and Torgler, 2017 ).

Few studies have focused on interpersonal differences in mate preferences and psychological theories explaining them. One such study applied attachment theory; however, it found that differences in attachment styles are not related to mate preferences ( Cohen and Belsky, 2008 ). Another study investigated the connection between self-monitoring, dating motivations, and mate preferences ( Jones, 1993 ). It found that high self-monitoring individuals (those who are attentive to the situation and interpersonal cues for appropriate behavior) preferred partners with high social status, sex appeal, and physical attractiveness, while low self-monitoring individuals (those who based their behavior on their attitudes, feelings, and beliefs) preferred partners high on honesty, loyalty, and similar believes and values. In addition, high self-monitoring individuals expressed more extrinsic motivations for dating, while low self-monitoring individuals expressed more intrinsic motivations for dating. Finally, one study applied Schwartz’s values theory ( Goodwin and Tinker, 2002 ). This study has demonstrated that personal value preferences can explain individual differences in mate preferences. Specifically, the higher importance of conservation vs. openness to change values was associated with higher preferences for a partner who is a good earner, from a good family, healthy, a good housekeeper, and religious. The higher importance of self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence values was associated with preferences for a partner who is attractive, healthy, from a good family, wants children, is a good earner, a university graduate, and a good housekeeper. The present study investigates the connections between mate preferences and motivational goals, general (expressed in values) and context-specific (expressed in romantic motivations).

The present study focuses on three characteristics of the potential partner: socioeconomic status, physical attractiveness, and similarity. We chose these characteristics because they have been well-studied from the perspective of group differences/similarities, while the individual-level factors affecting them have rarely been investigated. In the present study, we assumed that individuals derive their mate preferences from their romantic motivations, i.e., they look for a partner to help them attain their romantic motivational goals. Individual mate preferences might also be connected to personal value preferences since the correctly chosen partner may help to attain one’s general motivational goals ( Goodwin and Tinker, 2002 ).

We assume that romantic relationships with a high-status partner may permit individuals to raise their social status and achieve social dominance and control over resources by using the partner’s status and resources ( Cohn, 2013 ; Gittins, 2017 ). Thus, seeking a high-status partner should be compatible with romantic motivations associated with self-enhancement values – dominance over others, control over resources, and demonstrating social success ( Schwartz, 2017 ).

The partner’s physical attractiveness must be important for individuals seeking a romantic partner to satisfy sexual needs ( Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ; Gittins, 2017 ). In addition, people looking for social challenges and obtaining a new experience may also prefer a good-looking partner because it is more challenging to develop relationships with such a partner ( Cohen and Belsky, 2008 ; Park and Rosén, 2013 ). Thus, the partners’ physical attractiveness may be compatible with romantic motivations associated with openness to change values.

Finally, having a partner similar to oneself is socially normative and promotes the preservation of the existing social order and tradition ( Luo, 2017 ). It may also increase the individual’s sense of security (Schwartz C. R., 2013). Therefore, looking for a similar partner should be compatible with romantic motivations associated with conservation values ( Schwartz, 2017 ; Czyżkowska and Cieciuch, 2020 ). Based on these assumptions, we formulated the following hypotheses related to connections between romantic motivations and mate preferences:

H4 : The higher importance of social status in the romantic partner is connected to romantic motivations associated with self-enhancement values. H5 : The higher importance of physical attractiveness in a romantic partner is connected to romantic motivations associated with openness to change values. H6 : The higher importance of similarity in the romantic partner is connected to romantic motivations associated with conservation values. H7 : Romantic motivations partly mediate the connections between values and mate preferences, i.e., values are connected to mate preferences directly and indirectly through their connection to the corresponding romantic motivations.

Participants and procedures

This study used a community convenience sample of 1,121 participants (40% males). The mean age was 24.3 ( SD  = 3.11, range = 18–30). 79% of the participants had a tertiary degree or studied for such a degree. 70% of the participants were Jewish, 24% were Muslim, 5% were Christian, and 1% were Druze. 56% were secular, 29% were traditional (following some religious traditions and practices), and 16% were religious. Immigrants constituted 5% of the sample. Compared to the sociodemographic characteristics of young people reported by the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics (2023) , the following groups were slightly (10% or less) overrepresented in the sample: women, secular, highly educated, and Israeli-born. At the time of the study, all participants had no romantic partner; however, about 2/3 of them had such a partner in the past.

The Tel-Aviv University Review Board approved the study. Undergraduate students who participated in a senior research seminar (a third-year BA course) distributed the questionnaires as a part of the course requirements. Students participating in the seminar lived in different areas of the country, ensuring a geographically heterogeneous sample. Adults aged 18–30 who did not have a girl/boyfriend but would like to find one were invited to participate in the study. The anonymity of the participants was ensured, and all participants signed an informed consent form. The questionnaires were distributed using Google Forms through WhatsApp, Facebook, and e-mail. The participants did not receive compensation for completing the questionnaires. The study was conducted in Hebrew.

Personal value preferences

Personal value preferences were measured using the Portrait Values Questionnaire, PVQ-R ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ). This questionnaire consists of 57 items. Each item portrays an abstract person describing their goals, aspirations, and wishes that indicate the importance of a specific value. Respondents indicate how similar the described person is to them on a 6-point scale, from 1 ( not like me at all ) to 6 ( very much like me ). Item example (Conformity): “It is important to him/her to avoid upsetting other people.” Cronbach’s alphas of the four higher-order values were high: self-enhancement – 0.86, openness to change – 0.84, conservation – 0.86, and self-transcendence – 0.88. The higher-order values on the axes’ poles were strongly negatively correlated: r  = −0.67 for openness to change – conservation and r  = −0.61 for self-transcendence – self-enhancement. To avoid the multicollinearity problem, we used axes’ scores in all multivariate analyses, built by subtracting the scores of one pole of an axis from the other. This approach was suggested in several previous studies ( Goodwin and Tinker, 2002 ; Abramson et al., 2018 ; Sverdlik and Rechter, 2020 ).

Romantic motivations

The scale measuring romantic motivations was created for the present study. The scale included 73 items allocated into 14 basic romantic motivations. Thus, each motivation was measured using 3–9 items. The participants were asked to what extent each motivation was important in their search for a girl/boyfriend. They answered on a 6-point scale, from 1 – not important at all to 6 – very important . Example items: “To feel loved.” “To avoid boredom.” “To have somebody who will buy me things.” “To satisfy my parents’ expectations.” The internal consistency of all 14 subscales measuring romantic motivations was high (Cronbach alphas 0.84–0.95). Appendix Table A1 presents romantic motivations and scale items with Cronbach alphas for each scale.

We measured the importance of three characteristics of the potential partner: social status, physical attractiveness, and similarity. Mate preferences in status (4 items) and attractiveness (3 items) were measured using items from Buss et al. (2001) . Items measuring similarity (5 items) were adopted from Buss et al. (2001) , Schwartz (2013) , and Luo (2017) . The participants were asked how important it is to them that their girl/boyfriend would have specific characteristics. They answered on a 6-point scale, from 1 – not important at all to 6 – very important . Example items: “Has a high social status.” “Looks good.” “Has interests similar to yours.” To test for the structural validity of the scale, we conducted Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) separately for men and women. We used the Principal Component Extraction Method, Oblimin Rotation with Kaiser Normalization, and a fixed number of factors to extract. The results confirmed the scale’s structure. The total variance explained by the three-factor solution was 64% for men and 61% for women. As required, all first-factor loadings were higher than 0.40, with no second-factor loading higher than 0.30. Appendix Table A2 presents the EFA results. Internal consistency of the mate preference subscales measured by Cronbach’s α was high (men/women): 0.84/0.83 for status, 0.77/0.72 for physical attractiveness, and 0.80/0.76 for similarity.

As recommended in previous studies ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Strus and Cieciuch, 2017 ; Czyżkowska and Cieciuch, 2020 ), to correct for individual differences in using the response scales, each participant’s responses were centered on their mean for all scales used in the present study. The mean of all items included in the scale was subtracted from each subscale score. For instance, the mean of all 57 value scores was subtracted from each higher-order value score.

Data analysis

We tested connections among basic romantic motivations in the entire sample and separately for men and women. The analysis was conducted in two steps. First, we calculated the scores for each of the 14 basic romantic motivations as means of the corresponding items. Second, we tested the hypothesized circular structure of romantic motivations by applying multidimensional scaling (MDS) to the 14 basic romantic motivations. We used MDS because this analytical approach is useful for testing circumplex models. For such models, exploratory or confirmatory factor analyses are inappropriate because of the expected strong intercorrelations between variables ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ; Cieciuch, 2017 ; Czyżkowska and Cieciuch, 2020 ). We used the Multidimensional Scale module in SPSS (Alscal Procedure Options) to conduct MDS.

We tested connections between values, romantic motivations, and mate preferences using Structural Equation Modeling in Mplus ( Muthén and Muthén, 2012 ). Full information maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard errors was used to deal with missing data ( Little and Rubin, 2019 ). The covariance structure of the model was evaluated using multiple fit indexes, and the following values were regarded as indicating a good fit: χ2 / df  < 3.0, CFI  > 0.95, TLI  > 0.95, and RMSEA  < 0.05 ( Geiser, 2012 ; Kelloway, 2014 ). The mediation effect of romantic motivations is corroborated when the indirect effect of values on mate preferences through romantic motivations is significant. Mediation is considered complete when the indirect effect of values on mate preferences is significant, and the direct effect of values on mate preferences is not significant. Mediation is considered partial when both the indirect and direct effects of values on mate preferences are significant. According to modern statistical literature, using SEM for testing mediation has numerous advantages over the method suggested by Baron and Kenny ( Bollen and Pearl, 2012 ; Gunzler et al., 2013 ; Kelloway, 2014 ).

The structure of romantic motivations

Figure 1 presents the MDS configuration for the entire sample. Appendix Figures A1, A2 present the MDS graphs separately for men and women. The configurations obtained separately for the two genders and the entire sample were similar. The MDS goodness of fit indexes demonstrated an excellent fit (the entire sample/men/women): Young’s stress = 0.024/0.023/0.026; Kruskal’s stress = 0.043/0.046/0.054.

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Figure 1 . Multidimensional scaling configuration derived in two dimensions: the entire sample. RM 1, care for the other; RM 2, independence from parents; RM 3, psychological growth; RM 4, escape from loneliness; RM 5, feeling loved; RM 6, sexual satisfaction; RM 7, social advancement; RM 8, control over the other; RM 9, economic benefits; RM 10, respect; RM 11, emotional support; RM 12, childbearing and childrearing; RM 13, avoiding social pressure; RM 14, starting a family.

The results confirmed our hypothesis that basic romantic motivations form a circumplex that may be partitioned into four clusters (higher-order romantic motivations): Love and Care, Sex and Adventure, Status and Resources, and Family and Children. The love and care cluster included three motivations: care for the other, feeling loved, and receiving emotional support. The sex and adventure cluster included three motivations: sexual satisfaction, escape from loneliness, and psychological growth. The status and resources cluster included six motivations: social advancement, control over the other, economic benefits, respect, independence from parents, and avoiding social pressure. Finally, the family and children cluster included two motivations: starting a family and finding a partner for childbearing and childrearing.

Comparing the obtained romantic motivations circumplex with our hypotheses, we found that 11 out of 14 motivations were in their hypothesized clusters, and no romantic motivation was in the cluster opposite the hypothesized. However, three basic motivations were not in the hypothesized but in an adjacent cluster: Independence from parents was in the status and resources, not the sex and adventure cluster; avoiding social pressure was in the status and resources, not the children and family cluster; and care for the other was in the love and care cluster, with two other basic romantic motivations of feeling loved and receiving emotional support. Therefore, the obtained results mainly corroborated the hypothesized structure of romantic motivations.

Connections between romantic motivations and values

To test the connections between romantic motivations and values, we first calculated scores of four higher-order romantic motivations as means of the corresponding basic romantic motivations. After that, we calculated Pearson correlation coefficients between the four higher-order romantic motivations and four higher-order values. Table 2 presents the obtained results separately for men and women. For both genders (men/ women), Status and Resources romantic motivations were positively correlated with self-enhancement values (0.35/0.34) and negatively correlated with self-transcendence values (−0.23/–0.35). In addition, they were negatively correlated with openness to change values among men and women (−0.13/–0.09) and positively correlated with conservation values among women (0.12). For both genders, Love and Care motivations were positively correlated with self-transcendence (0.27/0.40) and openness to change values (0.14/0.08), and negatively correlated with self-enhancement (−0.33/–0.39) and conservation (−0.10/–0.13) values. For both genders, Family and Children motivations were positively correlated with conservation values (0.14/0.16). In addition, for men, they were positively correlated with self-transcendence (0.17) and negatively correlated with self-enhancement values (−0.19). Finally, for both genders, Sex and Adventure motivations were positively correlated with openness to change (0.21/0.21) and negatively correlated with conservation values (−0.12/–0.25). In addition, among women, these motivations were positively correlated with self-transcendence values (0.13). These findings corroborated our hypotheses regarding the pattern of connections between romantic motivations and values.

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Table 2 . Higher-order romantic motivations and values: Pearson correlation coefficients, means, and standard deviations.

We conducted linear regressions to test the connections between values’ axes scores and romantic motivations while controlling for sociodemographic variables ( Table 3 ). Status and resources romantic motivations were negatively associated with self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement ( β  = −0.30) and openness to change vs. conservation values ( β  = −0.09). Love and care motivations were positively associated with self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement ( β  = 0.35) and openness to change vs. conservation values ( β  = 0.09). Sex and adventure motivations were positively associated with openness to change vs. conservation values ( β  = 0.15). Finally, family and children motivations were positively associated with self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values ( β  = 0.11). Values’ axes scores predicted romantic motivations over and above sociodemographic variables; the proportion of variance explained was 14–21%. The results corroborated our hypothesis that romantic motivations are associated with general motivational goals expressed in values when controlling for socio-demographic variables.

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Table 3 . Linear regressions: sociodemographic variables and value axes scores predicting higher-order romantic motivations.

Considering the effect of socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations, we found that age and education were not related to romantic motivations. Compared to men, women reported higher importance of family and children ( β  = 0.08) and lower importance of love and care ( β  = −0.12) and sex and adventure ( β  = −0.06) motivations; no gender difference in status and resources motivations was found. Comparing Israeli Arabs and Jews, we found that Arabs reported higher importance of status and resources ( β  = 0.25) and family and children ( β  = 0.12) and lower importance of sex and adventure ( β  = −0.30) and love and care ( β  = −0.15) romantic motivations. Finally, the level of religiosity was positively associated with family and children ( β  = 0.29) and negatively associated with sex and adventure ( β  = −0.10) and love and care ( β  = −0.08) romantic motivations. Thus, our hypotheses regarding the effects of socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations were partly corroborated. 2

Connections with mate preferences

First, we calculated two romantic motivations axes scores – love and care vs. status and resources and sex and adventure vs. family and children – subtracting one pole score from the other. We further calculated Pearson correlation coefficients separately for men and women to test the connections between values and romantic motivations axes scores and mate preferences ( Table 4 ). The pattern of connections was similar for the two genders, with several exceptions (men/women). The importance of the romantic partner’s status was correlated with love and care vs. status and resources (−0.31/–0.28), sex and adventure vs. family and children (−0.07, ns/–0.22), openness to change vs. conservation (−0.21/–0.27), and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement (−0.26/–0.41). The importance of the romantic partner’s physical attractiveness was correlated with love and care vs. status and resources (0.09, ns/ 0.12), sex and adventure vs. family and children (0.30/0.22), openness to change vs. conservation (0.23/0.17), and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement (−0.17/–0.01, ns). Finally, the importance of the mate’s similarity was correlated with love and care vs. status and resources (−0.30/–0.30), openness to change vs. conservation (−0.12/–0.16), and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement (−0.17/–0.18). Thus, our hypotheses regarding the connections of mate preferences with values and romantic motivations were mostly corroborated.

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Table 4 . Mate preferences, romantic motivations, and values axes scores: Pearson correlation coefficients, means, and standard deviations.

We conducted linear regressions to test the connections between romantic motivations and values axes scores and mate preferences while controlling for sociodemographic variables ( Table 5 ). Status was connected to the openness to change vs. conservation ( β  = −0.19) and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement value axes ( β  = −0.26). In addition, it was connected to love and care vs. status and resources romantic motivations ( β  = −0.11). Attractiveness was connected to the openness to change vs. conservation ( β  = 0.13) and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values axes (−0.13). In addition, it was connected to sex and adventure vs. family and children romantic motivations ( β  = 0.17). Finally, the similarity was connected to the openness to change vs. conservation values axis ( β  = −0.13) and love and care vs. status and resources romantic motivations ( β  = −0.24). Values predicted mate preferences over and above sociodemographic variables and romantic motivations predicted mate preferences over and above sociodemographic variables and values, corroborating our hypotheses.

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Table 5 . Linear regression analysis: sociodemographic variables, values, and romantic motivations axes scores predicting mate preferences.

Considering the effect of socio-demographic variables on mate preferences, we found that age was significantly connected with the importance of attractiveness ( β  = 0.15) and similarity ( β  = −0.06) but not with status. Women ascribed higher importance to the status of their partners than men ( β  = 0.27), but there were no significant gender differences regarding other mate preferences. Education was positively connected with similarity ( β  = 0.11). Compared to Jews, Arabs ascribed higher importance to status ( β  = 0.09) and similarity ( β  = 0.13) and lower importance to attractiveness ( β  = −0.16). Taken alone, a higher level of religiosity was associated with higher importance of status ( β  = 0.12) and lower importance of attractiveness ( β  = −0.09); however, both effects of religiosity disappeared after including values and romantic motivations in the regression, and the connection with similarity became significant ( β  = −0.09).

Direct and indirect effects of values on mate preferences

Figure 2 presents the hypothesized model that includes the following variables: two values axes (openness to change vs. conservation and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement), two romantic motivations axes (love and care vs. status and resources and sex and adventure vs. family and children), and three mate characteristics (status, attractiveness, and similarity). After the model’s goodness-of-fit was established, aiming for the most parsimonious model, the initial research model was “trimmed,” i.e., all not significant paths were excluded ( Kelloway, 2014 ). The trimmed model demonstrated an excellent fit: χ 2 (2) = 2.77, p  = 0.250; RMSEA ( CI ) = 0.019 (0.000; 0.065); CFI  = 0.999; TLI  = 0.992. The proportion of variance explained was significant for all mate preferences: status (21%), attractiveness (11%), and similarity (11%). Figure 3 presents connections between variables in the trimmed model. As predicted, connections between romantic motivations and mate preferences were significant: Sex and adventure vs. family and children motivations were connected to status ( β  = −0.13) and attractiveness ( β  = 0.22); love and care vs. status and resources motivations were connected to status ( β  = −0.13), attractiveness ( β  = 0.09), and similarity ( β  = −0.27). In addition, direct connections between values and mate preferences were significant: Openness to change vs. conservation values were connected to status ( β  = −0.23), attractiveness ( β  = 0.15), and similarity ( β  = −0.11), and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values were directly connected to status ( β  = −0.26), attractiveness ( β  = −0.11), and similarity ( β  = −0.07). Finally, values were indirectly (through romantic motivations) connected to mate preferences: Openness to change vs. conservation values were indirectly connected to status ( β  = −0.040, p  < 0.001), attractiveness ( β  = 0.050, p  < 0.001), and similarity ( β  = −0.034, p  < 0.001), and self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values were indirectly connected to status ( β  = −0.050, p  < 0.001), attractiveness ( β  = 0.034, p  = 0.008), and similarity ( β  = −0.105, p  < 0.001). These results corroborated the mediating hypothesis, indicating that romantic motivations partly mediate the connections between values and mate preferences.

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Figure 2 . Path analysis: the hypothesized model.

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Figure 3 . Path analysis: the trimmed model.

Structure of romantic motivations

In this study, we revealed a structure of romantic motivations. We found that 14 basic romantic motivations form four motivational clusters or higher-order motivations. The first cluster, love and care , includes three romantic motivations: caring for the other, feeling loved, and receiving emotional support. This motivational cluster expresses the desire to give and receive love and emotional support. The combination of giving and receiving motivations in one cluster is unusual because promoting one’s interests usually opposes caring for others ( Schwartz, 2017 ). However, in romantic relationships, these motivations are complementary. Thus, romantic relationships differ from other interpersonal relationships in that they permit individuals simultaneously to care for each other and be cared for. We found that love and care is the most important motivation for seeking romantic relationships among young men and women. This finding indicates that the primary motivational goal of romantic relationships for both genders is giving and receiving love and emotional support, caring for the other, and being cared for. This finding corroborates the results of previous studies on the primacy of love in romantic relationships ( Cohn, 2013 ).

The second cluster, sex and adventure , includes three romantic motivations: psychological growth, escape from loneliness, and sexual satisfaction. This romantic motivation reflects a desire to find a new experience, including a sexual one, that may lead to personal growth. The sex and adventure motivations are ranked second in importance among young men and women. The sex and adventure romantic motivations are compatible with love and care motivations, thus indicating that love and care usually accompany sex when people engage in romantic relationships ( Townsend et al., 2020 ; Sorokowski et al., 2021 ; Thorpe and Kuperberg, 2021 ).

The third cluster status and resources , includes six romantic motivations: independence from parents, avoiding social pressure, social advancement, economic benefits, control over the other, and respect. These romantic motivations reflect the motivational goals of promoting one’s social status and obtaining resources through romantic relations. This cluster was ranked third in importance by both men and women. It strongly contradicted love and care romantic motivations among young men and women, thus indicating that these two motivations are incompatible. These findings indicate that an individual usually cannot give and receive love and care and simultaneously use a romantic partner to strengthen one’s social status and improve one’s economic conditions. These findings corroborate previous studies on social exchange theory that demonstrated the incompatibility of love and material resources exchange in interpersonal relationships ( Mitchell et al., 2012 ).

The fourth cluster, family and children , includes motivations to raise a family and find a partner for childbearing and childrearing. This motivation is the least important among young men and women looking for a romantic partner. This finding is surprising, given the pronatalist character of the Israeli state ( Waldman, 2006 ). However, it may be explained by the fact that family and children motivations relate to a distant future, whereas romantic relationships are mostly present-oriented. The family and children’s motivation strongly contradicted the sex and adventure motivation among both men and women, indicating that these motivations are incompatible in romantic relationships.

The system of compatibilities and conflicts between higher-order romantic motivations discovered in the present study indicates that romantic motivations exist in a two-dimensional space: one dimension running between love and care and status and resources poles, another – between sex and adventure and family and children’s poles. These dimensions are not orthogonal but rather slightly positively correlated. It means that people who are high on love and care motivations tend to be also high on sex and adventure motivations; thus, these motivations express compatible motivational goals. The same applies to status and resources and family and children motivations. This system of romantic motivations’ compatibilities and conflicts is similar among men and women. These findings are important because they demonstrate that romantic motivations constitute a meaningful system of congruencies and conflicts, not a unidimensional construct assumed in some previous studies ( Eekelaar, 2007 ; Cohn, 2013 ; Park and Rosén, 2013 ; Carter, 2018 ). Thus, people cannot simultaneously achieve all possible motivational goals in romantic relationships and must trade between conflicting goals.

Romantic motivations and values

In this study, we assumed that romantic motivations express general motivational goals in the context of romantic relationships. We corroborated this assumption by finding a meaningful pattern of connections between romantic motivations and personal value preferences. We found that love and care romantic motivations in both genders are associated with a preference for self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values and, to a lesser degree, with a preference for openness to change vs. conservation values. Thus, love and care romantic motivations express the general motivational goals of caring for others and transcending one’s interests for the sake of others. In a more general sense, love and care motivations express general motivational goals of psychological growth and development and might be found more often in people with a relatively low level of anxiety ( Schwartz et al., 2012 ).

Sex and adventure romantic motivations are associated with a high preference for openness to change vs. conservation values in both genders. Thus, sex and adventure romantic motivations express the general motivational goals of growth and self-actualization through looking for new experiences. In addition, among women but not men, sex and adventure motivations are associated with a high preference for self-transcendence values. This finding indicates that sex and adventure romantic motivations have different meanings for men and women, being more other-focused among women. These findings corroborate previous studies on gender differences in sexual relationships that demonstrated that women more often use sex to express caring for their partner ( Petersen and Hyde, 2011 ). The present study provides a motivational explanation for the previous findings, indicating that sex for women may be a way of caring for others ( Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ).

Status and resources romantic motivations were associated with a high preference for self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence and a high preference for conservation vs. openness to change values for both genders. Therefore, these romantic motivations express anxiety avoidance and self-protection as general motivational goals in romantic relationships. They might be more important among people with a higher level of anxiety and a history of traumatization (in the family, previous romantic relationships, or in general). However, this hypothesis needs testing in further research.

Family and children’s romantic motivations were associated with a higher preference for conservation vs. openness to change values for both genders. However, it was also associated with a higher preference for self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values for men. These findings shed light on the gender differences in romantic relationships. Men who aim to find a romantic partner to raise the family and children tend to be more ready to transcend their interests for the sake of others. However, no such tendency exists among women who seek romantic relationships to establish a family and raise children. These findings may reflect different social norms related to raising families and children. Men may perceive family and children as requiring them to give up some of their interests and care more for others, while women may perceive raising family and children as serving their own interests and the interests of the other ( Buss et al., 2001 ; Hurt, 2014 ; Gittins, 2017 ).

Values, romantic motivations, and mate preferences

Romantic motivations and values predicted mate preferences over and above sociodemographic variables. Specifically, the importance of the partner’s social status was associated with status and resources romantic motivations in both genders and with family and children’s romantic motivations among women. Thus, people whose goal in romantic relationships is to elevate their social status and resources are looking for a partner with high social status. The difference between men and women in the connection between the partner’s status and the family and children’s romantic motivation corroborates the previously found gender differences in the meaning of family and children for the two genders, with women preferring a more resourceful partner for raising a family and giving birth to children ( Buss et al., 2001 ; Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ). Finally, the importance of the social status of the romantic partner was associated with self-enhancement and conservation values among men and women. These findings indicate that romantic relationships with high-status partners enhance individuals’ social status and control over resources. In addition, more conservative people probably tend to choose a high-status partner because it matches social expectations ( Walter et al., 2020 ; Cooperman and Waller, 2022 ).

The importance of physical attractiveness in the romantic partner was associated with sex and adventure romantic motivations among both genders and with love and care motivations among women. These findings indicate that men and women seeking sexual satisfaction prefer an attractive partner. However, it also indicates that women, but not men, who are seeking love in romantic relationships prefer an attractive partner. It indicates that women, but not men, find it easier to love and care for an attractive partner. These findings are interesting and require further investigation. The importance of the partner’s physical attractiveness was associated with openness to change values in both genders and self-enhancement values among men. These findings indicate that an attractive partner permits both genders to obtain new experiences more easily. However, our findings also demonstrate that an attractive partner is a status symbol for men but not women, as shown in some previous studies ( Hurt, 2014 ; Gittins, 2017 ).

We expected that the preference for similarity in a romantic partner would be connected to romantic motivations associated with conservation values, i.e., family and children motivations. However, we found that the similarity in mate preference contradicts love and care motivations and is associated with status and resources romantic motivations in both genders. This finding indicates that individuals looking for love and care in romantic relationships may be happy with a partner different from themselves. However, those seeking romantic relationships to increase their status and resources feel more confident with a similar partner. The importance of similarity in the romantic partner is also associated with conservation and self-enhancement values in both genders. This is probably because having a partner similar to oneself is socially normative, preserves the existing social order and status quo, and is compatible with obtaining resources and dominating other people. These findings indicate that individuals are more confident with and feel less threatened by a partner similar to them, probably because self-enhancement and conservation values are associated with a high level of anxiety ( Schwartz, 2017 ). The present study findings highlight the interpersonal differences in assortative mating and reveal their motivational roots. Thus, they advance the previous studies that focused on the universal aspects of assortative mating ( Buss et al., 2001 ; Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ; Luo, 2017 ; Cooperman and Waller, 2022 ).

Our study confirmed that romantic motivations partly mediate the connection between personal value preferences and the sought-after partner’s characteristics. This finding indicates that in romantic relationships, people seek a partner whose characteristics help them attain general motivational goals expressed in value preferences and specific motivational goals relevant to romantic relationships. This finding is important because it not only reveals the context-specific mechanism related to romantic relationships but also advances our understanding of the valence mechanism in general ( Hitlin, 2003 ; Sagiv and Roccas, 2021 ), demonstrating that general motivational goals may affect attitudes and behavior indirectly through their effect on context-specific motivational goals.

The effect of sociodemographic variables on romantic motivations and mate preferences

We found significant effects of several socio-demographic variables on romantic motivations. Love and care and sex and adventure motivations were more important to men, while family and children motivations were more important to women. The higher importance of sex for men and long-term relationships for women is a long-established finding ( James, 2010 ; Carter, 2018 ). However, the higher importance of love and care motivations for men in the present study is surprising. Our findings may reflect a culturally specific phenomenon ( Lavee and Katz, 2003 ; Bystrov, 2012 ) or indicate the changes in modern youth ( Gittins, 2017 ). In any case, this phenomenon requires further research.

We found that ethnicity is an important factor related to romantic motivations. Comparing the two ethnic groups, Arab Israelis reported higher importance of status and resources and family and children motivations, while Jews reported higher importance of love and care and sex and adventure motivations. Previous studies show that, compared to Israeli Jewish culture, Arab Israeli culture is characterized by higher preferences for conservation and self-enhancement values ( Sagiv & Schwartz, 1995 ; Sagy et al., 2001 ). Similar results have been obtained in our study. Thus, the differences in romantic motivations reflect differences in values between the two main ethnic groups in Israel. However, it is important to note that the ranking of romantic motivations was similar among Jewish and Arab Israelis, which may indicate the existence of universal aspects of romantic motivations. Further cross-cultural studies are required to test the external validity of our findings.

A higher religiosity level was associated with higher importance of family and children motivations and lower importance of sex and adventure and love and care motivations. The strong positive connection between conservative values and religiosity may explain these findings ( Schwartz, 2017 ). Neither age nor education was related to romantic motivations. However, it is possible that we could not detect the connections with these variables because our sample was restricted in both age (18–30) and education (3/4 post-secondary education).

We found several significant connections between socio-demographic variables and mate preferences. The partner’s physical attractiveness is more important for older people. Status is more important to women as compared to men. Similarity is more important to more educated people. Compared to Jews, status and similarity are more important to Arabs, while the partner’s physical attractiveness is more important to Jews. These findings corroborate previous ones on mate preferences in individualistic vs. collectivistic cultural groups, and they may be explained by social norms and values existing in each culture ( Reneflot, 2006 ; Gassanov et al., 2008 ; Carter, 2018 ).

Men’s and women’s mate preferences have several similarities and differences. Physical attractiveness is the most important characteristic of the partner for both men and women. However, similarity is the second most desirable characteristic for men, while the partner’s status is the second most important characteristic for women. The rank differences in mate preferences between men and women were identical among Jewish and Arab Israelis. Our findings regarding gender differences in the importance of physical attractiveness for men and women in the present study differ from previous studies that found that the partner’s physical attractiveness was more important for men than women ( Buss et al., 2001 ). However, our findings corroborate the results of studies on this issue that used the Implicit Association Test ( Thompson and O’Sullivan, 2012 ). Our findings may be culture-specific or indicate changes in the present generation ( Twenge, 2013 ). Further cross-cultural studies of this issue are required.

Limitations and suggestions for further research

Several limitations of the study must be considered. First, it was correlational; therefore, causal inferences cannot be drawn from the results. Future longitudinal research would represent a significant advancement in the current findings. The second limitation of the present study is its sample, which was large but not random. The lack of control over the sample may raise generalizability issues. Further research should be based on representative samples. The third limitation relates to the research population. The suggested theoretical model was tested only in one country – Israel. Testing it in other countries would be essential to its generalization. The fourth limitation of the present study is that we focused on individual-level factors and did not investigate the macro and mezzo-level factors that might affect romantic motivations and mate preferences. Finally, the present study focused on young people with no girl/boyfriend. Further studies may investigate changes in motivations and mate preferences in different stages of romantic relationships: before their beginning, with a boy/girlfriend, during cohabitation, and after marriage.

In this study, we investigated the motivational aspects of romantic relationships. We conceptualized romantic motivations as context-specific motivations derived from general motivational goals reflected in personal value preferences. We revealed a system of affinities and conflicts between romantic motivations and confirmed the existence of four clusters of romantic motivations: love and care, family and children, status and resources, and sex and adventure. We demonstrated that romantic motivational clusters form a meaningful pattern of connections with higher-order values. Thus, we could assemble many romantic motivations into a limited number of higher-order motivations and relate them to general motivational goals expressed in values. Finally, we demonstrated that values and romantic motivations predict mate preferences – the sought-after characteristics of the romantic partner. The results obtained in the present study allow us to understand interpersonal differences in romantic motivations and mate preferences. The study’s findings advance the values theory and our understanding of the valence principle, unveiling the connections between general motivations, context-specific motivations, and context-specific attitudes and behavior. Thus, our findings provide a solid basis for further research on general and context-specific motivations in interpersonal relationships. A better understanding of romantic motivations and their connections with mate preferences will be helpful in youth counseling to promote satisfactory decisions regarding dating and ongoing relationships. It will also allow helping professionals to develop interventions facilitating the psychological adjustment of young people in the context of romantic relationships.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

The studies involving humans were approved by Tel Aviv University institutional review board. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. The participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Author contributions

ET: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Writing – original draft.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary material

The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1273607/full#supplementary-material

2. ^ We found significant differences in value preferences between Israeli Jews and Arabs. Jews reported higher preferences for openness to change [ M(SD) J  = 0.35(0.58) vs. M(SD) A  = 0.25(0.45), t (1106) = 2.94, p  = 0.003] and self-transcendence values [ M(SD) J  = 0.45(0.46) vs. M(SD) A  = 0.25(0.36), t (1108) = 7.92, p  < 0.001]. In addition, Jews reported lower preferences for conservation [ M(SD) J  = −0.25(0.55) vs. M(SD) A  = −0.17(0.41), t (1104) = −2.80, p  = 0.005] and self-enhancement values [ M(SD) J  = −0.73(0.46) vs. M(SD) A  = −0.39(0.36), t (1104) = −7.98, p  < 0.001].

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Keywords: romantic relationships, romantic motivations, personal values, mate preferences, adolescents and young adults, Israel, Jews, Arabs

Citation: Tartakovsky E (2023) The psychology of romantic relationships: motivations and mate preferences. Front. Psychol . 14:1273607. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1273607

Received: 06 August 2023; Accepted: 01 November 2023; Published: 28 November 2023.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2023 Tartakovsky. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Eugene Tartakovsky, ZXZnZW55dEB0YXVleC50YXUuYWMuaWw=

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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