Abstract
Forming stable, supportive romantic relationships is an important determinant of well-being for adults. Yet, there has been limited research about if and how prior romantic experiences help individuals develop the capacity to enter into such unions. Using grounded theory methods, relationship history interviews were conducted with 35 young adults who provided data about 256 romantic and sexual relationships. The different relationship forms (e.g., hooking up, casual dating, committed partnering) were found to contribute in nuanced ways to romantic development. Specifically, romantic development was characterized by gaining romantic experience, identifying preferences for partners and partnership, and learning to maintain healthy relational boundaries through a variety of romantic and sexual relationships. These findings contribute to existing knowledge by highlighting the meaning-making processes that promote development through tangible experiences and self-discovery.
Department
Family Studies
Publication Date
8-23-2021
Journal Title
Personal Relationships
Publisher
Wiley
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Jamison, T. B., & Sanner, C. M. (2021). Relationship form and function: Exploring meaning-making in young adults' romantic histories. Personal Relationships, 28(4), 840–859. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12400
Rights
© 2021 International Association for Relationship Research.
Comments
This is a preprint of an article published by Wiley in Personal Relationships in 2021, the Version of Record is available online: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pere.12400