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Updated: Jun 3, 2025
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Enactive Phenomenological Approach to the Trier Social Stress Test: A Mixed Methods Point of View
Published on: January 7, 2019
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How People React to the Termination of an Intimate Relationship: An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study
Menelaos Apostolou1, Isaias Taliadoros1, Timo Juhani Lajunen2
1Department of Social Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Summary
When a relationship ends, people often feel sadness and seek reasons for the breakup. Some try to distract themselves, while men are more likely to seek revenge sex, according to this study on relationship dissolution.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Sciences
- Relationship Studies
Background:
- Intimate relationships frequently end, prompting diverse individual reactions.
- Understanding these reactions is crucial for navigating relationship dissolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine potential individual reactions when an intimate partner terminates a relationship.
- To categorize and understand the factors influencing these reactions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized open-ended questionnaires (N=219) to identify 79 potential reactions.
- Employed close-ended questionnaires (N=442) to categorize reactions into 13 factors and 3 domains.
- Analyzed reactions based on gender differences.
Main Results:
- Participants most frequently reported sadness, seeking reasons for the breakup, and thought diversion.
- The highest-rated domain of reactions was "Accept and forget," followed by "Sadness and depression," and "Physical and psychological aggression."
- Men reported a higher likelihood of seeking revenge sex compared to women; other sex differences were not significant.
Conclusions:
- Findings enhance understanding of the relationship dissolution process.
- Potential applications include identifying and preventing harmful reactions during breakups.
- The study categorizes reactions into distinct domains, offering a framework for future research and intervention.
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