Romantic Partner Selection and Socialization During Early Adolescence

Abstract

This prospective study examined romantic partner selection and socialization among a sample of 78 young adolescents (6th–8th graders). Independent assessments of adolescent and romantic partner adjustment were collected before and after relationships initiated via peer nomination and self-report. Prior to their relationship, adolescents and partners were significantly alike on popularity, physical attraction, and depressive symptoms. Controlling for initial similarity, partners' popularity, depressive symptoms, relational aggression and relational victimization significantly predicted changes in adolescents' functioning in these areas over time. However, the magnitude and direction of change varied according to adolescents' and partners' pre-relationship functioning. In general, adolescents who dated high-functioning partners changed more than those who dated low-functioning partners, and partner characteristics predicted greater change among low versus high-functioning adolescents. Results were consistent even when controlling for best friend characteristics. The current findings are among the first to demonstrate unique contributions of romantic partner characteristics to adolescents' psychosocial functioning.

The role of character strengths in adolescent romantic relationships: An initial study on partner selection and mates' life satisfaction

“…Personality traits (e.g., big five, sensation seeking) have shown positive, but smaller coefficients (between zero and .35; e.g., Lesnik-Oberstein & Cohen, 1984;McCrae, Martin, Hřebíčková, Urbanek, Boomsma, Willemsen, & Costa, 2008;Vandenberg, 1972). Simon, Aikins, and Prinstein (2008) studied in a longitudinal design prerelationship similarity of adolescents that became a couple during the study. They found positive associations between mates' popularity, body appeal, self-rated depressive symptoms, and physical attractiveness indicating positive assortment (coefficients between .25 and .56).…”

Relationships among adolescents' perceptions of friends' behaviors, academic self-concept, and math performance.

“…Adolescence is a time when romantic relationships become more important in developing students' beliefs and behaviors (Simon et al, 2008). Popularity during adolescence affects such self-beliefs as self-esteem (De Bniyn & van den Boom, 2005) and academic performance (Cairns & Cairns, 1994).…”

Early Partner Choices of Immigrants: The Effect of Preferences, Opportunities and Parents on Dating a Native

“…A preference for similar others, i.e., homophily, is already observed in adolescence (McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook 2001). Adolescents' partner choice also reflects a preference for a partner who resembles themselves and holds similar values (Simon, Aikins, and Prinstein 2008;Connolly and McIsaac 2009). Furthermore, these relationships are more likely to last, because ties between similar persons dissolve at a lower rate (McPherson, Smith-Lovin, and Cook 2001;Wang, Kao, and Joyner 2006).…”