9 Romantic and Sexual Relationship Experiences Among Bisexual Individuals

Feinstein, Brian A.; Dyar, Christina

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71535-3_9

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…Findings from a daily diary study suggest that many of the negative identity-relevant experiences bi+ people report occur at the interpersonal level, including in romantic contexts (Flanders et al, 2016). Both experiences within one's relationships and others’ perceptions of those relationships may influence bi+ people's feelings of identity visibility, making their relationships an important focus for further research (e.g., Feinstein & Dyar, 2018), especially because sexual minority individuals’ relationships are understudied (McGorray et al, in press). In the present article, we examine how experiences related to relationship status, relationship type, and romantic partner behaviors are linked to a sense of identity visibility.…”

Section: Bi+ Identity Visibility and Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bi+ identity visibility and well-being in the context of romantic relationships.

McGorray¹,

Finkel²,

Feinstein³

2024

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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Bi+ people—those who are attracted to multiple gender groups and who use labels such as bisexual, pansexual, queer, or fluid—encounter challenges related to making their identities visible and experience reduced well-being relative to their gay/lesbian and heterosexual peers. In a sample of 450 bi+ participants, we pursue two primary goals. First, we investigate whether the subjective feeling that one's bi+ identity is invisible is associated with lower well-being among bi+ individuals. Second, we identify circumstances under which bi+ people experience lower versus higher subjective identity invisibility, focusing on the influential role of romantic relationships. We find that subjective visibility is positively associated with well-being, particularly for individuals whose bi+ identities are central to them. Relationship factors supporting a sense of perceived visibility included being in a same-gender relationship and having a gay, lesbian, or bi+ partner. This study contributes to efforts to identify conditions that promote bi+ people's well-being and highlights the importance of attending to the relationship dynamics of bi+ people, an understudied population.

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Section: Bi+ Identity Visibility and Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bi+ identity visibility and well-being in the context of romantic relationships.

McGorray¹,

Finkel²,

Feinstein³

2024

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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“…Romantic relationship engagement can also be a significant factor in the mental health of bisexual individuals ( Feinstein and Dyar, 2018 ). Molina et al (2015) found that bisexual women who were in a relationship with a male partner tended to experience higher internalized binegativity and were more likely to experience symptoms of depression.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While research on the romantic experiences of bisexual individuals has been on the rise, most of such research has been carried out in the United States ( DeCapua, 2017 ; Davids and Lundquist, 2018 ; Feinstein and Dyar, 2018 ). Thus, our research aims to contribute to the body of literature on the experiences of bisexual individuals outside the United States who have been underrepresented in academia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Experiences Surrounding Romantic Relationships of Korean Bisexual Individuals

Park

2023

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionIn recent years, the level of social and academic interest in sexual minorities has been gradually increasing. However, studies on bisexual individuals and the data on experiences of bisexual individuals outside the United States are scarce.MethodsTo decrease the gap in the literature, this study examined the experiences of South Korean bisexual individuals in the context of romantic relationships via semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Participants were recruited through online-based platforms, and the interview with eight participants was analyzed.ResultsFive main themes were identified: discovering myself as bisexual, being exposed to discrimination and exclusion, being affected by the sex of a romantic partner, protecting myself when engaging in a romantic relationship, and benefits of a romantic relationship.DiscussionThe findings suggest that Korea’s heteronormative system and culture were the major challenges perceived by the participants. In conclusion, this study illustrates how sociocultural norms, social acceptance, and recognition affect bisexual identity in a romantic relationship.

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“…Whereas intimate relationships serve as an important source of life satisfaction and stress‐buffering for heterosexual as well as gay and lesbian people (reviewed in Diamond et al, 2010), bi+ people may not experience positive outcomes related to relationship involvement (Hsieh & Liu, 2019; Whitton et al, 2020) and may even be at increased risk for negative outcomes when they are partnered, including anxiety, depression, problematic substance use, and intimate partner violence (Dyar & Feinstein, 2018; Feinstein et al, 2016; Whitton et al, 2018a). This may be because biphobic stereotypes call into question the validity of bi+ people's sexual identities and ability to commit to relationships (for a review, see Feinstein & Dyar, 2018). Further, because sexual orientation is often assumed based on partner gender, bi+ people may also feel invisible in relationships (Davila et al, 2019; Dyar & Feinstein, 2018; Hayfield et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Binegativity is thought to play an important role, particularly regarding myths that may intensify for bi+ people navigating relationships (Brewster & Moradi, 2010). Myths about bi+ people as hypersexual and unable to commit, and that bisexuality is an illegitimate or unstable sexual orientation may put stress on bi+ peoples' relationships, challenging security and wellbeing (Brewster & Moradi, 2010; for a review, see Feinstein & Dyar, 2018). An example of how such myths may manifest is bi+ people being pressured to change their identity to match their partner's gender (e.g., a bi+ man dating a woman may be pressured to identify as straight; Feinstein & Dyar, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bi+ adults' daily wellbeing: The roles of relationship status and partner gender

Vilkin

Dyar

Feinstein

2022

Personal Relationships

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This study examined whether relationship involvement and partner gender were associated with between‐person differences and within‐person fluctuation in positive and negative affect and alcohol use among people who are attracted to more than one gender or regardless of gender (e.g., bisexual, pansexual, queer; bi+). One hundred and ninety‐eight bi+ individuals (M age 26.97; 73.1% non‐Latinx White) completed a 28‐day diary study. Multilevel regression analyses modeled between‐person differences in daily affect and alcohol use as a function of relationship status and partner gender. ANCOVAs were conducted to examine differences in within‐person fluctuation. Results partially support past findings that relationship involvement may not confer benefits for bi+ people and that mixed‐gender partnerships could be particularly challenging. Future research directions are discussed.

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9 Romantic and Sexual Relationship Experiences Among Bisexual Individuals

Cited by 10 publications

References 71 publications

Bi+ identity visibility and well-being in the context of romantic relationships.

Bi+ identity visibility and well-being in the context of romantic relationships.

The Experiences Surrounding Romantic Relationships of Korean Bisexual Individuals

Bi+ adults' daily wellbeing: The roles of relationship status and partner gender

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