The psychology of romantic relationships: motivations and mate preferences

Abstract

IntroductionThis study investigates motivations to engage in romantic relationships. We examine the structure of romantic motivations and their connections with personal values and mate preferences.MethodThe study was conducted in Israel among young men and women looking for a romantic partner (n = 1,121, 40% male, age 18–30).ResultsData analysis demonstrated that basic romantic motivations form a circumplex that may be partitioned into four higher-order romantic motivations: love and care, family and children, status and resources, and sex and adventure. The romantic motivations formed a meaningful pattern of connections with higher-order values, thus confirming that context-specific motivations are derived from general motivational goals expressed in values. Personal value preferences and romantic motivations predicted the sought-after partner characteristics over and above sociodemographic variables. Values were indirectly (through romantic motivations) and directly connected to mate preferences.DiscussionThe study advances our understanding of romantic relationships among young people and opens new directions for research and counseling.

Emerging Adults’ Attitudes Toward Romantic Relationships: The Effects of Parental Bonding and Personal Value Preferences

“…Thus, positive attitudes toward romantic relationships might be associated with a high preference for conservation values. On the other hand, romantic relationships are associated with personal development and psychological growth (Collins, 2009;Eekelaar, 2007;Tartakovsky, 2023). Thus, they might be associated with openness to change values.…”

“…Therefore, to avoid multicollinearity, we used axes' scores, calculated by subtracting the scores of one pole of an axis from the other. This approach was suggested in several previous studies (Abramson et al, 2018;Goodwin & Tinker, 2002;Krips et al, 2024;Sverdlik & Rechter, 2020;Tartakovsky, 2023Tartakovsky, , 2024. As recommended in previous studies (Czyżkowska & Cieciuch, 2020;Schwartz et al, 2012), to correct for individual differences in using the response scales, each participant's responses were centered on his or her mean for all values.…”

“…The achievement of interpersonal intimacy and establishing stable romantic relationships are considered central developmental tasks of this period (Arnett, 2000;Conger et al, 2000;Reifman et al, 2007;Syed, 2015). However, emerging adults may seek romantic relationships to attain various goals, including identity exploration, adventure, self-development, choosing a partner to build the family, and future parenthood (Arnett, 2000;Tartakovsky, 2023).…”

Молодіжні Наративи Та Особисті Настанови У Сфері Інтимного Життя

“…Однією із ліній аналізу інтимної сфери є вивчення мотивів романтичних стосунків. Зокрема, у дослідженні ізраїльських науковців встановлено, що романтичні мотиви вищого порядку (любов і турбота; сім'я і діти; статус і ресурси; секс і пригоди) пов'язані із ціннісною сферою особистості і впливають на вибір партнера та побудову стосунків (Tartakovsky, 2023).…”