The Effects of Dating on Developmental Adjustment for Adolescents

................................................................................................... iv Introduction................................................................................................ 5 Literature Review......................................................................................... 5 Design of the Study....................................................................................... 11 Results..................................................................................................... 17 Discussion................................................................................................. 20 Conclusion................................................................................................. 27 References.................................................................................................. 29 Appendix I.................................................................................................. 31 Appendix II................................................................................................. 32 Appendix III................................................................................................ 33 The Effects of Dating on Developmental Adjustment iii Acknowledgements First and foremost, I owe my deepest gratitude to Dr. Cynthia Ybos. Without her expertise, enthusiasm, and generosity in lending me research materials out of her own collection, this thesis would have never come together. I would also like to thank my second readers, Ms. Penelope Rector Speaker and Mr. Abram Himelstein, for taking the time to review and suggest changes to this project. To my advisors at the Honors office, Dr. Abu Kabir Mostafa Sarwar and Dr. Noriko Ito Krenn: You have inspired me to do my best work and enriched my experience over my last four years at UNO. Thank you for your support. And finally, thanks to Austin McCown for his unwavering mental health support during all those long nights of revising and rewriting. The Effects of Dating on Developmental Adjustment iv Abstract This research study examined the course and effects of romantic relationships on the psychology and development of adolescents between the age of 15 and 18. Because existing literature demonstrates a high level of developmental significance to the relationships between adolescents and platonic peers, the introduction of the romantic element to teens’ social lives carries additional importance to their maturation process. There are also certain individuals and relationships that have greater likelihood of resulting in negative outcomes such as dating abuse and depression. Of eight participants, four were male and four were female, and all participants were currently 18-19 years of age and asked to reflect on relationship experiences they had between the ages of 15 and 18. The results did support the hypothesis of certain traits indicating higher likelihood of negative outcomes. Though the study lacked the empirical data to draw definitive conclusions, the trends found may provide insight into capability for greater understanding of the developmental significance of adolescent dating, thereby potentially leading to the development of more effective interventions by educators for individuals who need them.