Perceived Efficacy in Initiating Romantic Relationships and Single Emerging Adults’ Well-Being

Abstract

Using data from 313 single emerging adults living in the United States, we explored initiation-efficacy (i.e., perceived abilities related to initiating romantic relationships) and if it was associated with well-being (life satisfaction, happiness with romantic experiences, and loneliness). Most participants indicated that it is not easy to ask someone out or tell someone they are interested in them and talking with someone they have feelings for is awkward. Initiation-efficacy was associated with well-being. Specifically, reporting that it is easy to ask someone out on a date was associated with greater life satisfaction and happiness with romantic experiences, but less loneliness. Further, emerging adults were lonelier when talking to someone they have feelings for was awkward. Finally, neither relationship desire or dismissal moderated associations between initiation-efficacy and well-being. However, relationship dismissal was associated with greater life satisfaction and happiness with romantic experiences and relationship desire was associated with more loneliness.

Understanding singlehood as a complex and multifaceted experience: Insights from relationship science

“…Our work has consistently found that for single young adults, relationship (dis)interest is associated with well‐being, including their satisfaction with their romantic experiences. Generally, we have found that for single young adults, scoring higher in relationship dismissal is associated with greater life satisfaction and love life satisfaction, but scoring higher in relationship desire is associated with greater loneliness (Watkins et al, under review; Watkins & Beckmeyer, 2020; Watkins & Beckmeyer, under review). We interpret these findings as indicating that being less interested in relationships allows young adults to frame their singlehood more positively, likely as a personal choice and within their own control.…”

Contextualizing singlehood among young adults: Exploring the meanings and perceived reasons for being single

“…Because romantic involvement appears to be a salient developmental task that may promote young adult well-being, being single during young adulthood has often been framed as costly for growth and development during this stage of the life course (e.g., Ta et al, 2017). However, some scholars have begun challenging the deficitperspective of singlehood (DePaulo, 2014(DePaulo, , 2023Pepping et al, 2018) by exploring how young adults' romantic beliefs and desires, personality characteristics, and life circumstances shape their experiences of being single and its connections with well-being (Beckmeyer & Cromwell, 2019;Beckmeyer & Jamison, 2023a;Girme et al, 2016;Lehmann et al, 2015;Sharp & Ganong, 2011;Watkins & Beckmeyer, 2023).…”