Research Symposium

BIO

Hello, my name is Rylie Fitzgerald and I am a second year student at Florida State University. I am majoring in both psychology and criminology, and I plan to attend a Master’s program after I graduate to study clinical psychology. Although I do not have any previous research experience, I am very interested in social and developmental psychology research. After I graduate from my Master’s program, I hope to pursue a career in clinical psychology. Although my family currently lives in Orlando, Florida, I have also lived in Hawaii, Arizona, and New Jersey. In my free time, I love to travel, take care of my two dogs, and cook new foods.

Why Men Choose Situationships and How They are Maintained

Abstract

Romantic relationships are oftentimes exploratory in early adulthood, especially for men. The ultimate goal of this exploration is subsequently to find a lifelong partner. However, some men opt for more non-traditional methods such as friends-with-benefits, hooking up, and situationships. Situationships can best be defined as romantic relationships that lack certain levels of labels or commitment. Early research has suggested that these relationships lack satisfaction, raising questions such as why and how men choose to maintain these non-traditional options. Qualitative data has been collected from 16 young adults (aged 18-25) who have been a part of a situationship. Interviews were conducted via Zoom, and a recording of each participants’ answers were conducted. This data was then organized into thematic elements in order to identify common themes throughout the participant’s answers. So far, the results have revealed common themes in motivation, maintenance, and hindering aspects. Overall, the data suggests men seek out situationships over traditional relationships due to factors such as convenience, lack of clarity, and poor partner qualities. Overall, more work needs to be done to understand the various aspects of situationships across time.

Keywords: Situationships, Men, Relationship Psychology, Psychology