Investigating the social benefits of long-distance romantic relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Long-distance romantic relationships (LDRRs) are increasingly common, yet research directly comparing them to cohabitating romantic relationships (CRRs) remains limited. In this pre-registered study, we used a multinational, six-wave longitudinal dataset collected during the COVID-19 pandemic (N_observations = 1,772) and applied propensity score matching to compare LDRRs and CRRs on two core relational outcomes: conflict and passion. Drawing on Relational Dialectics Theory and the Relational Turbulence Model, we hypothesized that spending more time with one’s partner would have distinct effects depending on relationship type—predicting that LDRRs would benefit more from increased time together, while CRRs would experience more conflict and reduced passion. Contrary to these predictions, we found that LDRRs, on average, reported lower conflict and higher passion than CRRs. Furthermore, across both relationship types, increased time spent with one’s partner was associated with lower conflict and more passion. We also observed meaningful heterogeneity: of those who completed three or more waves, approximately 19% of individuals experienced patterns contrary to the typical decreases in conflict and increases in passion. Taken together, these findings suggest that, rather than exacerbating relationship difficulties, increased time together during a global crisis may enhance relational well-being for most couples. Our use of matched samples, within-person modeling, and estimation of heterogeneity offers a rigorous test of long-distance relationship dynamics and challenges common assumptions about relational fragility during periods of stress. These results contribute to a more nuanced understanding of relationship functioning under constraint and highlight the resilience of LDRRs in the face of global disruption.