Research indicates that idealized romantic expectations and the extent to which they are met, are important predictors of relationship outcomes (e.g., love). However, no studies have investigated the ...impact of idealized beliefs associated with specific behaviors (e.g., kissing) on reports of romantic love. Thus, the two studies comprising this research assessed the association between idealized beliefs related to one's first romantic kiss with their current partner, unmet first kiss expectations, and reports of romantic love. Romantic attachment was also examined as a moderator. In Study One, the First Kiss Beliefs Scale was created and the results from 208 adults revealed that increased endorsement of idealized first kiss beliefs was associated with greater romantic love (
= 0.25). Romantic attachment also moderated this relationship, such that idealized first kiss beliefs significantly predicted love for those high in attachment anxiety and low in avoidance (
= 0.68 and
= 0.18, respectively). In Study Two, the First Kiss Beliefs Scale was modified to assess outcomes and expectations to capture unmet expectations. The results from 234 adults indicated that idealized first kiss beliefs predicted a greater proportion of the variance in romantic love (
= 0.10) than did unmet expectations (
= 0.07). A three-way interaction was also detected such that, among those low in attachment anxiety, the relationship between kissing beliefs and love was positive for those high in attachment avoidance and negative for those low. These results indicate that idealized first kiss expectations with one's current romantic partner are important predictors of love (beyond whether these expectations were met), particularly for those high in attachment insecurity. Implications are discussed for practitioners and those in the primary stages of romantic relationships.
Although theories of romantic stage development suggest that youth in the period of emerging adulthood are fully capable of commitment to an intimate romantic relationship, recent research suggests ...that the relationships of many young people are quite different. Marriage and other forms of deep commitment are delayed while many youth engage in short-term casual encounters or in noncommitted relationships. In this article, we suggest that these data pose a challenge to stage theories that can be reconciled by considering the developmental life tasks that emerging adults must simultaneously resolve. We propose a transitional emerging adult romantic stage, coordinating romance and life plans, in which young people strive to integrate their career paths and life plans with those of a romantic partner. Resolution of this stage provides the grounding for long-term commitment to a life partner. This proposal is discussed within the perspective of life cycle and evolutionary life history theories.
This study aimed to examine the relationship between romantic passion and the motivational factors driving adolescents to form romantic relationships. Undergraduates (N=132) who had experienced at ...least one romantic relationship were invited to participate in a questionnaire. The relationships between the Romantic Passion Scale and the Motivation for Romantic Relationships Scale were examined. The results were as follows. First, “harmonious passion” was related to “intrinsic regulation,” “identified regulation,” “internalized regulation,” and “external regulation.” Second, “obsessive passion” was related to “internalized regulation,” and “external regulation.” The results suggested that romantic passion plays a pivotal role in shaping the motivation of adolescent students when it comes to romantic relationships.
In the present studies we examined how individual differences in general approach and avoidance motivation, romantic victimization and approach and avoidance relationship goals predicted romantic ...relational aggression. Two studies (N = 331) including participants involved in romantic relationships provided evidence that general avoidance motivation (Fight-flight-freeze system) and romantic victimization positively predicted relationally aggressive behavior toward a romantic partner. Approach relationship goals were a negative predictor of romantic relational aggression. The results suggest that general avoidance motivation and romantic victimization are risk factors, while the approach relationship goals are a protective factor in the study of romantic relational aggression.
•People victimized in a romantic relationship were more relationally aggressive.•Relationally aggressive behaviors were more frequent in people sensitive to threats.•Approach goals in a romantic relationship were linked with less relational aggression.
In the early stages of romantic relationships, sexual desire is often intense, but over time, as partners get to know each other, desire tends to decline. Low sexual desire has negative implications ...for relationship satisfaction and maintenance. Self-expansion theory suggests that engaging in novel activities with a long-term romantic partner can reignite feelings of passion from the early stages of a relationship. Across 3 studies using dyadic, daily experience, longitudinal, and experimental methods, we find evidence for our central prediction that engaging in self-expanding activities with a partner is associated with higher sexual desire. In turn, we found that higher desire fueled by self-expansion is associated with greater relationship satisfaction. Self-expansion, through sexual desire, is also associated with an increased likelihood that couples will engage in sex, and when they do engage in sex, they feel more satisfied with their sexual experiences. We also demonstrate that the benefits of self-expansion for relationship satisfaction are sustained over time, and that the effects cannot be attributed solely to increases in positive affect, time spent interacting with the partner or closeness during the activity. Implications for self-expansion theory and sexual desire maintenance in relationships are discussed.
