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…
Besides presenting at state and national conferences, as a research team we look forward to opportunities to present our research on campus during the semester. We excitedly were able to present our research in the summer semester! On Friday August 11th, two members of our…
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…
Can swiping on Tinder lead to long-term romantic love? As a research team we have wondered about this idea, as have others such as the author in this New York Times article. Recently our team read a new research article entitled Swiping Me Off My…
Are you a weak link or a strong link in your relationships? That’s a rhetorical question that one might ask themselves after reading one of the latest research articles published by Scott Stanley and colleagues. Asymmetrical commitment represents a new—and I might add one of…
Writing as an emerging adult in today’s society, it can be stressful when thinking about the future. Not only am I concerned with finding a stable career, I’m constantly being questioned about my love life by friends and family. After reading various research articles, it’s…
On April 25th five of the research members presented at the Northern Illinois University Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day (URAD). It all started with volunteers from the team to dedicate time to create our poster for URAD 2017. We collaborated with Dr. Sibley to make…
On April 6th, seven members of our research team attended the Illinois Council on Family Relations 2017 Annual Conference in Normal, Illinois to present our research on our paper titled “Proceed with Caution: how emerging adults are testing the waters in just talking romantic relationships”.…
Welcome to Decide To Commit! My name is Dr. Scott Sibley and I am an associate professor at Northern Illinois University in Human Development and Family Sciences, and also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I built this website with the help of my research team to provide a creative outlet to highlight our research, and to offer relationship education for those interested in romantic relationships.
As a researcher I am specifically interested in commitment in couple relationships, romantic relationship formation, marriage, and decision-making in the emerging adult (18-29 year-old) population. Again, welcome to our blog!
