Interpersonal relationship

Types of Relationships

• Intimate relationships, including romantic relationships and polyamorous relationships
• Family relationships, including parent-child relationships and sibling relationships
• Friendships, including close friendships and casual friendships
• Professional relationships, including employer-employee relationships and coworker relationships
• Acquaintances, including casual acquaintances and online acquaintances

Intimate Relationships

• Romantic relationships have varying levels of intimacy, passion, and commitment
• Love can be defined using theories such as Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love and Fisher's theory of love
• Romantic relationships can exist between any gender or among a group of people
• Interpersonal communication is essential for the survival of romantic relationships
• Love in romantic relationships includes components such as physical attraction, similarity, reciprocity, and self-disclosure

Life Stages in Relationships

• Early adolescent relationships are characterized by companionship, reciprocity, and sexual experiences
• Emerging adults develop attachment and caring qualities in their relationships, including love, bonding, security, and support
• Later relationships often involve a greater emphasis on companionate love and exhibit higher levels of commitment
• Intimacy and passion may decline over time, but studies show no decline in importance of sex, intimacy, and passionate love in longer or later-life relationships
• Older people tend to be more satisfied in their relationships but face greater barriers to entering new relationships compared to younger or middle-aged people

LGBTQ Relationships

• LGBTQ people may face unique challenges in establishing and maintaining intimate relationships
• Internalized homo-negativity and conforming to gender norms can affect satisfaction and emotional well-being in LGBTQ relationships
• LGBTQ youth often lack social support and peer connections compared to heterosexual young people
• Comparative studies show few differences in relationship intensity, quality, satisfaction, or commitment between homosexual and heterosexual couples
• Cohabitation is considered serious and equivalent to marriage for many LGBTQ partners

Marital Relationships

• Marriage is still the majority form of relationship, except among emerging adults
• Marriage is considered important in family and social structures
• Nontraditional relationships are on the rise, but marriage remains prevalent
• Marital relationships can provide companionship, support, and security
• Studies show that marital relationships contribute to overall life satisfaction and well-being

Interpersonal relationship Data Sources