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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 28, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing

Published on: October 25, 2019

Romantic relationship development: The interplay between age and relationship length.

Ann Lantagne¹, Wyndol Furman¹

¹Department of Psychology, University of Denver.

Developmental Psychology

|June 13, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Romantic relationship quality evolves with age and duration. Findings reveal that while short relationships gain support over time, long-term adolescent relationships are initially turbulent but become more supportive and less conflict-ridden with age.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Sociology of Relationships

Background:

Understanding the developmental trajectory of romantic relationship qualities is crucial for adolescent and early adult well-being.
Previous research has often examined age and relationship length independently, potentially overlooking their complex interplay.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how key romantic relationship qualities, including support, negative interactions, control, and jealousy, change across age and relationship duration.
To examine the interaction between age and relationship length in shaping these relationship dynamics.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal study collecting eight waves of data over 10.5 years from 200 participants (100 males, 100 females) starting in adolescence (mean age Wave 1 = 15.83).
Utilized multilevel modeling to analyze changes in relationship qualities (support, negative interactions, control, jealousy) derived from interviews and questionnaires.

Main Results:

Significant main effects of age were observed for jealousy, while relationship length impacted all assessed qualities.
Crucially, significant age by relationship length interactions were found for all relationship qualities.
Short-term relationships showed increasing support with age. Long-term adolescent relationships were initially high in support, negative interactions, control, and jealousy, but with age, support remained high while negative aspects decreased.

Conclusions:

The development of romantic relationship qualities is significantly influenced by the combined effects of user age and relationship duration.
Findings underscore the dynamic nature of adolescent and early adult romantic relationships, highlighting distinct developmental paths based on relationship length and age.