Have you ever wondered why someone has a pattern of breaking-up and getting back together with their romantic partner? Although rekindling a relationship that you once had may be comfortable and familiar, it also poses detrimental consequences for future relationship stability. In a time where…
Many things in life require people to decide between two or more options. Some decisions may be small, while others can change your life dramatically. Yet, in the end it’s how you react to your choices that makes all the difference. Recently, our research team…
In May 1967 a song credited to Frankie Vallie the lead singer of the band The Four Seasons released a song called “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” which quickly shot up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for that week. Some words in…
As humans we have a natural desire to feel that we belong, and we find social acceptance to be significantly rewarding and social rejection to be considerably threatening. I think this is especially true for emerging adults (18-29 years-old). In my experience, emerging adults are…
As an assistant professor in Human Development and Family Sciences at Northern Illinois University, I have the unique opportunity to teach upcoming generations about marriage and family relationships. But teaching about these subjects can be demanding, and I often feel like I am at the front…
As a child and adolescent, my parents always made sure we had a home cooked meal and ate together as a family, no matter how busy each of us were. Until I went to college, I would say we ate together six out of seven…
This week from November 1st – November 5th, I will be presenting with a portion of our research team (Amie Kahovec, Hillary Schraufnagel, Hanna Stoffel) two of our research papers at the 8th biennial Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood Conference in Washington D.C.…
As emerging adults leave high school and enter college, the idea of commitment and marriage may not seem like a priority. So many emerging adults have this notion that your college years are the time to party, experiment, and just have fun, rather than be…
Have you ever found yourself getting so sucked into social media, that all the sudden you are looking at your mother’s, boyfriend’s, ex-girlfriend’s, sister’s social media from three years ago? Well, you are not the only one. Social media surveillance, otherwise known in the less…
Generally, when one enters into a romantic relationship, above all else, monogamy and fidelity are expected. Usually it is unspoken, but most times it is understood. Yet, as research has shown, infidelity is quite common especially in unmarried relationships. Recently our research team read a…
As we know, technology is a powerful foundation for communication and has become more advanced and prevailing over the years. We often wonder on our research team how technology is affecting emerging adults (18-29 years old) relationship formation and satisfaction. After all, research suggests that…
Although first published in 1994, Fighting for Your Marriage by Howard J. Markman, Scott M. Stanley, and Susan L. Blumberg is just as relevant today as when the book was first released. Back in May, there were eight members of our research team who were…
Now that it has been a few weeks since most colleges started, students are adjusting and familiarizing themselves with their classes and campus. These adjustments may cause problems when trying to balance commitment to your summer love, and new living situation and life at the…
When I first heard about new book iGen: Why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy– and completely unprepared for adulthood (and what this means for the rest of us), I was initially defensive. This book has been widely promoted…
Not only has the advent of smartphones and social media substantially changed the dating landscape, this technology has also made it much easier to get in and out of relationships. Certain features in smartphones and social media (Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) allow an individual to…
A great shift in the dating landscape has occured in the past 6-7 years. With the advent of smartphones and social media, emerging adults (18-29 years old) are not only communicating in new ways, but this technology has had a profound impact on the formation…
Having a partner that is honest and committed to their romantic relationship is an expectation that many people have, but research indicates that individuals do not always hold themselves to that same standard. Personally, I have always thought of myself as an honest person. I…
With the fall semester quickly approaching, incoming freshmen throughout the United States are preparing to attend college for the first time. When I started college many of my friends were excited to meet guys and have “no strings attached” relationships. It seems like many college…
