Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Developmental Shifts in the Character of Romantic and Sexual Relationships from Adolescence to Young Adulthood

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Early Adulthood in a Family Context

Part of the book series: National Symposium on Family Issues ((NSFI,volume 2))

Abstract

This chapter examines ways in which the qualities and dynamics of respondents’ romantic relationships change from adolescence into adulthood and also explores the ways in which gender influences the character of romantic experiences during this period. We present findings from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), a longitudinal study of 1,321 respondents who were interviewed four times, first in adolescence and subsequently as they have navigated the transition to adulthood. A review of other recent TARS findings are included, providing a more comprehensive portrait of the fluidity and range of romantic and sexual relationship experiences that characterize this phase of the life course. For example, we examine the phenomena of breaking up and getting back together and having sex with ex-boyfriends/girlfriends – dynamics that are quite common, but that highlight some of the difficulties of establishing the boundaries of what constitutes a dating relationship. In addition, while young adulthood is generally understood as a time when romantic attachments take on greater weight/significance, this period is associated with increased likelihood of casual sex experiences. Thus, we also include a review of findings about the trajectories of casual sex and factors associated with variability in casual sexual experiences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, E. (1989). Sex codes and family life among poor inner-city youths. Annals of the American Academy of Political Social Science, 501, 59–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: a theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55, 69–480.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnett, J. J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: the winding road from the late teens through the twenties. England: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binstock, G., & Thornton, A. (2003). Separations, reconciliations, and living apart in cohabiting and marital unions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65, 432–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blackwell, D. L., & Lichter, D. T. (2000). Mate selection among married and cohabiting couples. Journal of Family Issues, 21, 275–302.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blood, R. O., & Wolfe, D. M. (1960). Husbands and wives: the dynamics of married living. Glencoe, IL: Free.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogle, K. (2008). Hooking up: college students and no-rules relationships. New York, NY: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brines, J., & Joyner, K. (1999). The ties that bind: principles of cohesion in cohabitation and marriage. American Sociological Review, 64, 333–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. B. (1999). You’re going out with who? Peer group influences on adolescent romantic relationships. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 291–329). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S. L. (2004). Moving from cohabitation to marriage: effects on relationship quality. Social Science Research, 33, 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S. L., & Bulanda, J. R. (2008). Relationship violence in young adulthood: a comparison of daters, cohabitors, and marrieds. Social Science Research, 37, 73–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavanagh, S. E., Crissey, S. R., & Raley, R. K. (2008). Family structure and adolescent romance. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70, 698–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cleveland, H. H. (2003). The influence of female and male risk on the occurrence of sexual intercourse within adolescent relationships. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13, 81–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. A., & Manning, W. D. (2010). The relationship context of premarital serial cohabitation. Social Science Research, 39, 766–776.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, R. (2004). Interaction ritual chains. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, W. A., Welsh, D. P., & Furman, W. (2009). Adolescent romantic relationships. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 631–652.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, J., Craig, W., Goldberg, A., & Pepler, D. (2004). Mixed-gender groups, dating, and romantic relationships in early adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 14, 185–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, J., & Goldberg, A. (1999). Romantic relationships in adolescence: the role of friends and peers in their emergence and development. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 266–290). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunphy, D. C. (1963). The social structure of urban adolescent peer groups. Sociometry, 26, 230–246.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eder, D., Evans, C., & Parker, S. (1995). School talk: gender and adolescent culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fine, G. A. (1987). With the boys: little league baseball and preadolescent culture. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1992). Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child Development, 63, 103–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gecas, V., & Longmore, M. A. (2003). Self–esteem. In J. J. Ponzetti Jr. (Ed.), international encyclopedia of marriage and family relationships (2nd ed., pp. 1419–1424). New York, NY: Macmillan Reference.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giordano, P. C., Longmore, M. A., & Manning, W. D. (2001). A conceptual portrait of adolescent romantic relationships. In D. Kinney (Ed.), Sociological studies of children and youth (pp. 111–142). London, England: Elsevier Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giordano, P. C., Longmore, M. A., & Manning, W. D. (2006). Gender and the meanings of adolescent romantic relationships: a focus on boys. American Sociological Review, 71, 260–287.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giordano, P. C., Longmore, M. A., Manning, W. D., & Northcutt, M. J. (2009). Adolescent identities and sexual behavior: an examination of Anderson’s player hypothesis. Social Forces, 87(4), 1813–1844.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2010). Affairs of the heart: qualities of adolescent romantic relationships and sexual behavior. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20(4), 983–1013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giordano, P. C., Phelps, K. D., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2008). Adolescent academic achievement and romantic relationships. Social Science Research, 37, 37–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodwin, P. Y., Mosher, W. D., & Chandra, A. (2010). Marriage and cohabitation in the United States: A statistical portrait based on cycle 6 (2002) of the National Survey of Family Growth Vital Health Stat 23(28). Washington, DC: National Center for Health Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halpern-Meekin, S. C., Manning, W. D., Giordano, P. C., & Longmore, M. A. (2010). Breaking up is hard to do? Explaining failed breakups. Working Paper 2010–09, Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, B. E., Martin, J. A., & Ventura, S. J. (2007). Births: preliminary data for 2006. National vital statistics reports; Vol. 56, no 7. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatfield, E., & Sprecher, S. (1986). Measuring passionate love in intimate relationships. Journal of Adolescence, 9, 383–410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haynie, D. L., Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., & Longmore, M. A. (2005). Adolescent romantic relationships and delinquency involvement. Criminology, 43, 177–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hohmann-Marriott, B. (2006). Shared beliefs and the union stability of married and cohabiting couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68, 1015–1028.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joyner, K., & Udry, J. R. (2000). You don’t bring me anything but down: adolescent romance and depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41, 369–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, S., & Bumpass, L. L. (2008). Cohabitation and children’s living arrangements: new estimates from the United States. Demographic Research, 19, 1663–1692.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komter, A. (1989). Hidden power in marriage. Gender and Society, 3, 187–216.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korobov, N., & Thorne, A. (2006). Intimacy and distancing: young men’s conversations about romantic relationships. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21, 27–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loomis, L. L., & Landale, N. S. (1994). Nonmarital cohabitation and childbearing among Black and White American women. Journal of Marriage and Family, 56, 949–962.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, H. A., Manning, W. D., Giordano, P. C., & Longmore, M. A. (2010). Casual sex among young adults: Education differentials. Working Paper 2010–07, Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. (1990). Gender and relationships: a developmental account. American Psychologist, 45, 513–520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. D., Flanigan, C. M., Giordano, P. C., & Longmore, M. A. (2009). Relationship dynamics and consistency of condom use among adolescents. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 41(3), 181–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. D., Giordano, P. C., & Longmore, M. A. (2006). Hooking up: the relationship contexts of nonromantic sex. Journal of Adolescent Research, 21(5), 459–483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. D., Giordano, P. C., Longmore, M. A., & Hocevar, A. (2009). Romantic relationships and academic/career trajectories in early adulthood. In F. Fincham & M. Cui (Eds.), Romantic relationships in emerging adulthood. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manning, W. D., Longmore, M. A., & Giordano, P. C. (2007). The changing institution of marriage: adolescents’ expectations to cohabit and to marry. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(3), 559–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCall, G. J., & Simmons, J. L. (1966). Identities and interaction. New York: Free.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meier, A., & Allen, G. (2009). Romantic relationships from adolescence to young adulthood: evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Sociological Quarterly, 50, 308–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merten, D. E. (1996). Going-with: the role of a social form in early romance. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 24, 462–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nomaguchi, K. M., & Milkie, M. (2003). Costs and rewards of children: the effects of becoming a parent on adults’ lives. Journal of Marriage and Family, 66, 413–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osgood, D. W., Foster, E. M., Flanagan, C., & Ruth, G. R. (Eds.). (2005). On your own without a net: the transition to adulthood for vulnerable populations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pipher, M. (1994). Reviving ophelia: saving the selves of adolescent girls. New York, NY: Ballantine Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Powers, W. G., & Hutchinson, K. (1979). The measurement of communication apprehension in the marriage relationship. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 89–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian, Z. (1998). Changes in assortative mating: the impact of age and education, 1970–1990. Demography, 35, 279–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raley, R. K., & Sullivan, M. K. (2010). Social-contextual influences on adolescent romantic involvement: the constraints of being a numerical minority. Sociological Spectrum, 30, 65–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Risman, B., & Schwartz, P. (2002). After the sexual revolution: gender politics in teen dating. Contexts, 1, 16–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roscoe, B., Diana, M. S., & Brooks, R. H. (1987). Early, middle, and late adolescents’ views on dating and factors influencing partner selection. Adolescence, 22, 59–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sassler, S. (2010). Partnering across the life course: sex, relationships, and mate selection. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 557–575.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schoen, R., Landale, N. S., & Daniels, K. (2007). Family transitions in young adulthood. Demography, 44, 807–820.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2003). Testing theories of romantic development from adolescence to young adulthood: evidence of a developmental sequence. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27, 519–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Settersten, R. F., Jr., Furstenberg, F. F., Jr., & Rumbaut, R. G. (Eds.). (2005). On the frontier of adulthood: theory, research, and public policy. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Settersten, R. A., Jr., & Mayer, K. U. (1997). The measurement of age, age structuring, and the life course. Annual Review of Sociology, 23, 233–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shulman, S., Laursen, B., Kalman, Z., & Karpovsky, S. (1997). Adolescent intimacy revisited. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 26(5), 597–617.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sprey, J. (1999). Family dynamics: an essay on conflict and power. In M. R. Sussman, S. K. Steinmetz, & G. W. Peterson (Eds.), Handbook of marriage and the family (2nd ed., pp. 667–685). New York, NY: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorne, B. (1993). Gender play: girls and boys in school. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tolman, D. L., Spencer, R., Harmon, T., Rosen-Reynoso, M., & Striepe, M. (2004). Getting close, staying cool: early adolescent boys’ experiences with romantic relationships. In N. Way & J. Y. Chu (Eds.), Adolescent boys: exploring diverse cultures of boyhood (pp. 235–255). New York, NY: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Census Bureau. (2009). Table MS-2: Estimated median age at first marriage, by sex: 1980 to the present. http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh–fam/ms2.csv. Accessed 1 Sept 2009.

  • Umberson, D., Pudrovska, T., & Reczek, C. (2010). Parenthood, childlessness, and well–being: a life course perspective. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 612–629.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Way, N., & Chu, J. Y. (2004). Adolescent boys: exploring diverse cultures of boyhood. New York, NY: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wight, D. (1994). Boys’ thoughts and talk about sex in a working class locality of Glasgow. The Sociological Review, 42, 703–738.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wildsmith, E., Guzzo, K. B., & Hayford, S. R. (2010). Repeat unintended, unwanted and seriously mistimed childbearing in the United States. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 42, 14–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woo, H., & Raley, R. K. (2005). A small extension to “Costs and rewards of children”: the effects of becoming a parent on adults’ lives. Journal of Marriage and Family, 67, 216–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA

    Peggy C. Giordano Ph.D., Wendy D. Manning Ph.D., Monica A. Longmore Ph.D. & Christine M. Flanigan

Authors
  1. Peggy C. Giordano Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wendy D. Manning Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Monica A. Longmore Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christine M. Flanigan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peggy C. Giordano Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Justice, Pennsylvania State University, Oswald Tower 513, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Alan Booth

  2. Bowling Green State University, 239 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, 43403, Ohio, USA

    Susan L. Brown

  3. Pennsylvania State University, Oswald Tower 601, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Nancy S. Landale

  4. , Departments of Sociology and Demography, Bowling Green State University, 239 Williams Hall, Bowling Green, 43403, Ohio, USA

    Wendy D. Manning

  5. The Pennsylvania State University, 601 Oswald Tower, University Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, USA

    Susan M. McHale

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Giordano, P.C., Manning, W.D., Longmore, M.A., Flanigan, C.M. (2012). Developmental Shifts in the Character of Romantic and Sexual Relationships from Adolescence to Young Adulthood. In: Booth, A., Brown, S., Landale, N., Manning, W., McHale, S. (eds) Early Adulthood in a Family Context. National Symposium on Family Issues, vol 2. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1436-0_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation