Predicting romantic involvement, relationship cognitions, and relationship qualities from physical appearance, perceived norms, and relational styles regarding friends and parents

Abstract

Using a sample of 199 adolescents, the present study examined Furman and Wehner's (1999) hypothesis that the predictors of the degree of romantic involvement and the predictors of romantic relationship cognitions and qualities differ. As hypothesized, physical appearance and friends' normative romantic involvement were related to the degree of casual and serious romantic involvement, whereas relational styles regarding friends and parents were unrelated in almost all cases. On the other hand, relational styles regarding friends and parents were related to supportive and negative romantic interactions and romantic styles,. In contrast, physical appearance and friends' normative romantic involvement were generally unrelated to interactions and romantic styles. Physical appearance was also related to romantic appeal and satisfaction. KeywordsRomantic Relationships; Dating; Attachment; Friendships; Parent-Adolescent Relationships; Physical Attractiveness Romantic experiences are a central part of most adolescents' lives. In early adolescence, youth begin to interact more frequently in mixed-sex groups (Connolly, Craig, Goldberg, & Pepler, 2004). These groups often lead to group dating and eventually dyadic dating. By middle adolescence, most have begun dating (Feiring, 1996), and many have boyfriends or girlfriends. For example, 56% of girls and 49% of boys who are 15-years-old report having a "special" romantic relationship in the last 18 months (Carver, Joyner, & Udry, 2003). These romantic experiences and relationships are hypothesized to have a significant impact on many facets of psycho-social development and adjustment (Furman & Shaffer, 2003).One of the fundamental challenges researchers face is identifying the features that are most important to understanding romantic experiences. One reason this task is challenging is because the study of adolescent romance involves more than examining the characteristics of a particular dyadic relationship. Over the course of time, most adolescents have a number of different romantic relationships. The number, as well as the characteristics of particular relationships, is important to consider. Moreover, individuals have emotions or cognitions Corresponding Author: Wyndol Furman wfurman@nova.psy.du.edu, (t) 1-303-871-3688; (f) 1-303-871-4747; Other Author: Jessica Winkles jkwinkles@gmail.com. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript J Adolesc. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 December 1. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript about romantic...

Vínculos afectivos en la infancia y calidad en las relaciones de pareja de jóvenes adultos: el efecto mediador del apego actual.

“…En definitiva, nuestros datos confirman esa conexión entre el sistema de apego conformado en la infancia en las relaciones con los padres y las representaciones del mismo en las relaciones de pareja posteriores (Furman y Winkles, 2010;Mikulincer y Shaver, 2003;. No obstante, nuestros datos parecen indicar que el padre del sexo opuesto juega un rol más significativo que el del propio sexo, aunque, en aspectos diferentes de la relación de pareja: en los chicos, el apoyo proporcionado por la madre especialmente parece importante para la percepción de seguridad y disponibilidad de su pareja actual, mientras que en las chicas, la seguridad y confianza del padre lo sería para la percepción de comodidad ante situaciones de proximidad e intimidad.…”

“…Para valorar las conductas de apego en la infancia utilizamos el NRI-Behavioral Systems Version (NRI-BSV) debido a sus buenas propiedades psicométricas (Furman y Buhrmester, 2009). Este instrumento, frecuente en la investigación actual sobre el tema (Furman y Winkles, 2010), permite valorar en qué medida las relaciones de los adolescentes y jóvenes con sus padres, entre otras relaciones, se caracterizan por conductas asociadas con la activación de los sistemas de apego, cuidado y afiliación. En su totalidad, valora cinco caracterís-ticas del apoyo social relacionadas con esos sistemas: a) el sujeto busca refugio seguro; b) el sujeto busca una base segura; c) el sujeto proporciona refugio seguro; d) el sujeto proporciona una base segura; y e) compañerismo.…”

Gendered pathways to romantic attachment in emerging adults: The role of body image and parental support

“…Furthermore, attractiveness has 2 SEIFFGE-KRENKE ET AL. been found to be related to more romantic satisfaction (Furman & Winkles, 2010). Adolescent females who date are more likely to be dieting (Compian et al, 2004).…”

An Examination of Relational Uncertainty, Romantic Intent, and Attraction on Communicative and Relational Outcomes in Cross-Sex Friendships

“…Relational uncertainty has been found to lead to the experience of negative emotions (e.g., anger) in courtships (Knobloch, Miller, & Carpenter, 2007), and married spouses experiencing relational uncertainty report less satisfaction with their marriage (Knobloch, 2008). In addition, relational satisfaction should be impacted by interpersonal attraction and romantic intent, as appearance has been shown to be a positive predictor of romantic appeal Communication Research Reports 357 and satisfaction in friendships (Furman & Winkles, 2010). As such, the following hypothesis is advanced: H1: Relational uncertainty will negatively predict satisfaction and romantic intent and attraction will positively predict satisfaction in cross-sex friendships.…”