There are times when one partner in a relationship wants to leave, but is simply afraid of hurting their partner’s feelings, or scared of what life may be like outside of a now-comfortable relationship. Maybe this is you, or a close friend, but whoever it…

Am I dating a narcissist? The question that many romantic partners avoid at all costs. You may relate to this avoidance as you have found yourself many times afraid to let yourself fully answer this question. Or maybe the word narcissist is new to you.…

How to tell your romantic partner, “I need space”- a phrase that typically sounds the alarm sirens in a romantic relationship. Have you ever found yourself in a romantic relationship where you feel oddly suspicious about how well things are going? You can feel the…

Cheating, the word no one wants to hear in a romantically committed relationship. Finding out that your romantic partner cheated on you can leave you feeling completely blindsided. You may find yourself feeling paralyzed as questions about what went wrong flood your mind. Many will…

If ghosts are not real, then why do I keep getting ghosted? Previously on this blog we have discussed ghosting, which has often been defined as a verb that involves ending a romantic relationship by abruptly cutting off all contact and ignoring any communication attempts…

Many of us have a difficult relationship story that we could share. Unfortunately one of the traits of many modern romantic relationships is ambiguity. Many people find that they are riding along with a romantic partner that is less committed and invested in the relationship…

In romantic relationships, being rejected by a romantic partner for someone else can be one of the worst pains that an individual can experience. This is a heart-wrenching feeling and may lead people to question their self worth, confidence, the intentions of previous partners, as…

Fluctuations are often a normal occurrence in romantic relationships. In fact, fluctuation can occur in even the most flourishing and healthy relationships. When a relationship feels flat, this can provide couples with a time to reassess their priorities and find ways to strengthen their relationship.…

In her book The Defining Decade, Meg Jay, PhD, describes the twenties as “the critical period of adulthood”. She points out that it is only within the past hundred years that this new developmental season has come about. People used to go straight from being…

This summer, I had a painful and somewhat unexpected experience while visiting my recently-divorced mother’s house for the first time in three years with my wife and four children. It was quickly evident that my oldest two children had a strong recollection of some of…

Central to life is decision-making. Each day we face a variety of decisions, and some of these decisions can have a substantial impact on our happiness and our relationships. Accompanying these decisions are often pressures that we feel from family, friends, romantic partners, and our…

My proposal was from my childhood dreams! My fiancé proposed in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom. It was a moment I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. However, the journey to my engagement and dream marriage…

On April 18th eight members of our research team attended the Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day (URAD 2018) at Northern Illinois University to present our research on Pre-dating relationships and the ever-increasing age at first marriage. As a research team we specifically explore decision-making in…

In the book, The All-or-Nothing Marriage: How the Best Marriages Work, psychology professor Eli J. Finkel offers an interesting and research based approach on marriage today. This book explores marriage in the modern day, and makes a case for our expectations in marriage being higher than…

I still remember the phone call like it was yesterday. As I was preparing to leave for the university on a warm September morning in 2015, I received an unexpected call from my mother. In a very emotional conversation, she shared the devastating news that…

Dating and forming romantic relationships during the age of ambiguity can be incredibly confusing, especially if your romantic partner seems uninterested in a committed relationship. As a research team we have had frequent discussions about the missed opportunities (see here and here), and emotional toll…

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 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…