Navigating In and Out of Romantic Relationships From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

This study examines how romantic relationship patterns (i.e., based on the number of different partners and the number of years in a relationship) from adolescence to emerging adulthood (1) are associated with independence at age 25 and (2) are related to the characteristics of one’s romantic relationship and parental status at age 25. A sample of 274 youth (61.3% girls) identified their romantic partners each year between the ages of 16 and 24 and completed a series of questionnaires at age 25 concerning their level of independence and the characteristics of their current romantic relationship and parental status. Results show that patterns were associated with the pace at which youth accomplished tasks associated with emerging adulthood, in particular, gaining independence and becoming parents themselves. However, characteristics of the youth’s romantic relationships at age 25 did not vary as a function of these patterns.