Friends with Benefits

Abstract

Friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs) represents a relationship where partners (who do not identify their relationship as romantic) engage in repeated sexual interactions. This relational hybrid attempts to combine the safe environment (i.e., closeness and trust) of a friendship with the access to sexual interaction characteristic of a romantic relationship. Although communicative rules of friendship imply openness between partners, communication about the FWBR (especially discussion of emotions such as love and jealousy) are typically frowned upon. Research suggests that considerable variety characterizes FWBRs in terms of how well partners know each other as well as their partners' romantic motivations and feelings. Thus, FWBRs are very complex and heterogeneous.

A longitudinal study of friends with benefits relationships

“…FWBRs uniquely combine friendship with sexual activity without the level of commitment typically associated with traditional romantic relationships (Braithwaite, Aaron, Dowdle, Spjut, & Fincham, 2015). Although FWBRs can take many forms (Mongeau, Knight, Williams, Eden, & Shaw, 2013;Mongeau, Van Raalte, Generous, & Bednarchik, 2016), the modal FWBR involves two friends who choose to engage in sexual activity, simultaneously maintaining an existing friendship (Bisson & Levine, 2009;Owen & Fincham, 2011). Although they usually attain some level of closeness, there is not necessarily an expectation of the strong emotional attachment and commitment that characterizes traditional romantic relationships (Olmstead, Billen, Conrad, Pasley, & Fincham, 2013;VanderDrift, Lehmiller, & Kelly, 2012).…”