Tag: Decision-Making

How Traumatic Experiences Can Impact Future Relationships

How Traumatic Experiences Can Impact Future Relationships

**Trigger Warning – Please be advised this post discusses a personal example of sexual assault.** Going into any new relationship can be pretty scary. But have you ever thought about what going into a new relationship may look like for someone who has gone through 

Are You Staying in Your Relationship for Your Partner’s Sake?

Are You Staying in Your Relationship for Your Partner’s Sake?

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?: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

Am I Dating A Narcissist?: 4 Questions to Ask Yourself

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”

How to Tell Your Romantic Partner “I Need Space”

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 

Is It My Fault? When a Romantic Partner is a Cheater

Is It My Fault? When a Romantic Partner is a Cheater

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 

Where is This Relationship Headed? When One Romantic Partner is More Committed

Where is This Relationship Headed? When One Romantic Partner is More Committed

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 

Are Fluctuations in Commitment Normal in Romantic Relationships?

Are Fluctuations in Commitment Normal in Romantic Relationships?

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. 

Getting Comfortable with Labels: An Argument for Defining Your Relationship

Getting Comfortable with Labels: An Argument for Defining Your 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 

Reasons to Stay and Reasons to Go: Deciding Whether to Continue a Relationship

Reasons to Stay and Reasons to Go: Deciding Whether to Continue a Relationship

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 

We’re Engaged! Deciding to Commit for the Right Reasons

We’re Engaged! Deciding to Commit for the Right Reasons

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 

Resilient Commitment: Overcoming the Intergenerational Effects of Parental Divorce

Resilient Commitment: Overcoming the Intergenerational Effects of Parental Divorce

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 

Is It Too Late To Leave? Feeling Stuck In A Relationship With No Future

Is It Too Late To Leave? Feeling Stuck In A Relationship With No Future

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 

How On-again/Off-again Romantic Relationships Can Be Harmful To Your Future

How On-again/Off-again Romantic Relationships Can Be Harmful To Your Future

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 

My Partner Cheated On Me: Should I Leave or Should I Stay?

My Partner Cheated On Me: Should I Leave or Should I Stay?

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 

More Potential Regret from Missed Romantic Opportunities than from Rejection

More Potential Regret from Missed Romantic Opportunities than from Rejection

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 

Just Married! A Newlywed’s Perspective on Marriage and Commitment

Just Married! A Newlywed’s Perspective on Marriage and Commitment

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 

If They Cheated Before, Will They Cheat Again? Research on Serial Infidelity

If They Cheated Before, Will They Cheat Again? Research on Serial Infidelity

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 

A Review of “Fighting for Your Marriage” By: Markman, Stanley, and Blumberg

A Review of “Fighting for Your Marriage” By: Markman, Stanley, and Blumberg

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