Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood

Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Contents......Page 9
List of contributors......Page 11
Foreword......Page 13
References......Page 16
Part I: INTRODUCTION......Page 17
What is emerging adulthood?......Page 19
Is emerging adulthood a unique developmental stage?......Page 20
Romantic relationships in emerging adulthood......Page 21
The need for this book......Page 22
Conceptual and Methodological Foundations......Page 23
The Developmental Context......Page 24
Relationship Processes......Page 25
Practical Implications......Page 26
References......Page 27
Part II: CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS......Page 29
Brief introduction to emerging adulthood......Page 31
Emerging adulthood and societal trends......Page 33
Emerging adulthood and romantic relationship processes......Page 34
Relationship/Social Skills......Page 36
Identity......Page 37
Gender......Page 38
Race/Ethnicity......Page 39
References......Page 40
A historical perspective......Page 43
A life course perspective based on pathways......Page 46
Sample......Page 48
Procedure......Page 49
The Seven Latent Classes......Page 50
Explanations......Page 51
Measures......Page 53
Data Reduction: Factor Analysis......Page 54
Conclusions......Page 55
References......Page 57
4 Models of Change and Continuity in Romantic Experiences......Page 60
Project star......Page 61
Models of change......Page 62
Research Questions......Page 63
Data Illustration......Page 64
Latent Growth Curve Model......Page 65
Research Questions......Page 66
Data Illustration......Page 68
Summary......Page 69
Data Illustration......Page 70
Summary......Page 72
Overview of the Model......Page 73
Data Illustration......Page 75
Summary......Page 76
Models of change......Page 77
References......Page 80
5 Working With Dyadic Data in Studies of Emerging Adulthood: Specific Recommendations, General Advice, and Practical Tips......Page 83
Dyadic Nonindependence......Page 84
Recommendation #1: Researchers Should Gain Familiarity With Dyadic Data Techniques Before Collecting New Relationship Data......Page 85
Recommendation #2: Researchers Should Consider How to Structure Data Files Before Data Are Entered. However, Researchers Should Expect to Restructure Their Datasets in the Course of Analyses......Page 87
Recommendation #3: Approach Potential Gender Differences With Caution......Page 89
Recommendation #4: Always Empirically Test for Distinguishability......Page 90
Recommendation #5: Use Appropriate Correlation Coefficients to Evaluate the Degree of Nonindependence in Dyadic Data......Page 93
Recommendation #6: Standardize Variables With Care and Forethought......Page 94
Recommendation #7: Use the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model for Basic Dyadic Analyses......Page 96
Indistinguishable Case......Page 97
Distinguishable Case......Page 99
Recommendation #8: Incorporate Informant Reports Into APIM Designs to Improve Methodological Rigor in Dyadic Studies......Page 101
Recommendation #9: Be Mindful of the Fact That Many Dyadic Effects Are Examples of Actor–Partner Interactions......Page 103
Recommendation #10: Researchers Should Consider Issues of Statistical Power Before Collecting Data......Page 105
Summary......Page 107
Appendix 1: mplus script for the omnibus test of distinguishability......Page 108
Appendix 3: power calculations for the apim......Page 109
References......Page 110
Part III: THE DEVELOPMENTAL CONTEXT OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS IN EMERGING ADULTHOOD......Page 115
6 Intergenerational Continuities in Economic Pressure and Couple Conflict in Romantic Relationships......Page 117
The family stress model (fsm) of couple conflict......Page 119
The present investigation......Page 121
Participants......Page 122
Economic Pressure......Page 123
Couple Conflict......Page 125
Correlations......Page 126
The Youth Model: Hypothesis #1......Page 127
Discussion of the findings......Page 129
Theme and Hypothesis #1......Page 131
Theme and Hypothesis #2......Page 132
Final conclusions......Page 133
Acknowledgments......Page 134
References......Page 136
7 Linking Parental Divorce and Marital Discord to the Timing of Emerging Adults’ Marriage and Cohabitation......Page 139
Theoretical Foundations......Page 140
Parental Divorce and the Timing of Adult Children’s Marriage and Cohabitation......Page 141
Marital Discord and the Timing of Adult Children’s Marriage and Cohabitation......Page 142
The present study......Page 143
Iowa Youth and Families Project (IYFP)......Page 144
Family Transitions Project (FTP)......Page 145
Demographic Characteristics......Page 146
Survival Analysis......Page 147
Survival Analysis......Page 148
Discussion......Page 152
References......Page 155
8 Family Differentiation in Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Romantic Relationships......Page 158
Family differentiation......Page 159
Cross-cultural studies on dimensions of family differentiation......Page 161
Emerging adulthood in europe and italy: demographic characteristics of the transition......Page 165
Romantic relationships and family differentiation......Page 166
Conclusion......Page 174
References......Page 177
Part IV: RELATIONSHIP PROCESSES IN EMERGING ADULTHOOD......Page 183
9 The Evolution of Romantic Relationships: Adaptive Challenges and Relationship Cognition in Emerging Adulthood......Page 185
Finding a romantic partner......Page 187
Avoiding the temptation of attractive relationship alternatives......Page 191
Warding off romantic rivals......Page 195
Summary......Page 197
The Role of Person × Situation Interactions......Page 198
The Interaction of Evolution and Culture......Page 199
Conclusion......Page 200
References......Page 201
Emerging adulthood reconsidered......Page 206
A model of romantic relationship initiation......Page 209
The Goal: A Well-Functioning Mutual Communal Relationship......Page 210
Strategic Self-Presentation......Page 211
Self-Protection......Page 214
Evaluation of Potential Partners......Page 218
Importance of Individual Differences in Negotiating and Initiating Relationships......Page 221
A Return to Considering How Studying Relationship Initiation Processes Will Help Us Understand the Special Nature of Emerging Adulthood......Page 223
References......Page 225
Theories of sexuality......Page 229
Theories of romantic relationships......Page 231
Sexual behavior......Page 233
Relationship correlates of sexual behavior......Page 234
Communication with partners about sex......Page 235
Nonrelationship sex......Page 236
Sexual minority emerging adults......Page 237
Condom and contraceptive use......Page 238
Pregnancy and parenthood......Page 239
Sexual violence, compliance, and unwanted sex......Page 240
Suggestions for future research directions......Page 241
References......Page 243
Living together outside of marriage: a new national trend......Page 250
The age of ambiguity......Page 254
The Cohabitation Effect......Page 258
Practical implications for emerging adults......Page 262
Future directions......Page 263
References......Page 264
13 Implications of Parasympathetic Nervous System Functioning for Affect Regulation and Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood......Page 268
The romantic relationships of emerging adults: regulatory challenges......Page 269
From regulation to co-regulation......Page 270
Affect regulation and cardiac vagal control......Page 272
Vagal tone as an index of regulatory capacity......Page 273
Vagal reactivity and regulatory effort......Page 274
The role of context and appraisal......Page 275
Are Individual Differences in Vagal Functioning Associated With the Quality of Emerging Adults’ Romantic Ties?......Page 278
Do Individual Differences in Vagal Functioning Moderate Associations Between Emerging Adults’ Relationship Experiences and Their Overall Psychological Adjustment?......Page 280
Is Emerging Adulthood a “Formative Period” for Interpersonally Related Vagal Functioning?......Page 281
Conclusion......Page 282
References......Page 283
Part V: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS......Page 289
14 Romantic Relationships and Mental Health in Emerging Adulthood......Page 291
Romantic functioning in adolescence and emerging adulthood......Page 293
Externalizing Symptoms and Romantic Functioning......Page 294
Depressive Symptoms and Romantic Functioning......Page 295
Other Symptoms and Romantic Functioning......Page 298
Future directions for research......Page 301
References......Page 303
What is relationship education and is it necessary?......Page 309
Is relationship education needed in emerging adulthood?......Page 311
Is relationship education efficacious?......Page 313
Project RELATE......Page 315
The Big Challenge......Page 318
Generation y, z, and beyond: implications for relationship education......Page 322
Conclusion......Page 324
References......Page 329
Romantic partnership influence in adolescence......Page 333
Emerging adulthood......Page 335
Current study......Page 336
Data and methods......Page 337
Defining Adulthood......Page 338
Homophily inWork and Education......Page 339
Positive Influence of the Romantic Partner......Page 340
Negative Effects of Romantic Partners......Page 342
Discussion......Page 344
References......Page 346
Index......Page 351