Emerging adulthood (ages 18 -25) is an important time for young adults to develop effective communication and the conflict management skills they will need to sustain stable relationships in the future. There is an extensive literature on conflict management in emerging adults' committed romantic relationships. However, today's emerging adults no longer reliably engage in traditional dating relationships; rather, up to 70% engage in "nonrelationships" that are casual and ambiguously defined (e.g., "talking," "unofficial relationships," or "friends with benefits"). Although there is currently no published data on how emerging adults respond to issues that arise in nonrelationships, the absence of a clear commitment or social norms to guide partners' behaviors might make it difficult to address conflict directly and effectively. The present study explored this understudied area by conducting focus groups with 45 emerging adults about how they handle conflict in nonrelationships. To supplement these qualitative data, quantitative data were collected on key components of communication competence: willingness to communicate and perceived efficacy. Results indicated that emerging adults rarely engaged in constructive discussions about problems in nonrelationships because of the lack of clarity regarding commitment, absence of relationship rules, and fears of violating social norms that discourage expressions of investment. Also, ratings of communication competence were low; most participants said that they were unlikely to raise their concerns and considered themselves unprepared to effectively manage conflict in nonrelationships. Findings underscore the possibility that the increasingly ambiguous nature of young adult relationships may interfere with the acquisition of healthy conflict management skills.
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