ABSTRACT

Romantic relationships are a central concern not only to adolescents, but to researchers studying adolescence and the transition to young adulthood. After all, romantic relationships serve several important functions for youth. They are critical to relatedness and autonomy-developmental processes that are linked to secure attachment (Erikson, 1968; Hazan & Shaver, 1987). They also provide contexts for dating and sexual behavior (Collins & Sroufe, 1999; Sprecher, Barbee, & Schwartz, 1995), and facilitate mate sorting and selection (McDaniel, 1969), especially for youth who marry or cohabit early in the life course. The theoretical relevance of adolescent romantic relationships for explanations of pair bonding (i.e., attachment in intimate relationships) and family formation (e.g., childbearing, cohabitation, and marriage) is considerable.