Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood

Frank D. Fincham obtained a doctoral degree in social psychology as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He then completed postdoctoral training in clinical psychology at Stony Brook University before assuming a position as assistant professor at the University of Illinois, where he ultimately became a professor and the Director of Clinical Training. He was a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo before assuming his current position as Eminent Scholar at The Florida State University. The author of more than 180 publications, his research has been widely recognized by numerous awards, including the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for 'sustained, substantial, and distinguished contributions to the field of personal relationships' from the International Network on Personal Relationships and the President's Award for 'distinguished contributions to psychological knowledge' from the British Psychological Society. A Fellow of five different professional societies, Fincham has been listed among the top 25 psychologists in the world in terms of impact (defined as number of citations per paper). Ming Cui graduated from Iowa State University with a Ph.D. in sociology and a master's degree in statistics. She has been employed at the University of California, Davis and the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research at Iowa State University. In 2006, she joined the Family and Child Sciences Department at the Florida State University. Cui's research interests include youth development, parenting, interpersonal relationships, and methods and statistics. She has published articles in the Journal of Marriage and Family, the Journal of Research on Adolescence, Developmental Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Psychological Assessment, and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. In 2002, she received a New Contribution Award from the International Association for Relationship Research. Cui also serves as an editorial board member for the Journal of Marriage and Family and is a member of the Rueben Hill Award Committee and a reviewer for many journals.

“This is an essential resource for any scholar interested in the interface between emerging adulthood and interpersonal relationships. It presents cutting-edge theoretical, methodological, and substantive developments regarding how romantic relationships are embedded within the lives of those who are negotiating the adolescence-to-young-adulthood transition. Readers will come away with not only new insights about this topic area, but also with new ideas about how to conceptualize and study relationship development during this period of life.” – Mark A. Fine, University of Missouri

• Part I. Introduction: 1. Emerging adulthood and romantic relationships: an introduction Frank D. Fincham and Ming Cui; Part II. Conceptual and Methodological Foundations: 2. Romantic relationships in emerging adulthood: conceptual foundations Alan Reifman; 3. Relationship sequences and trajectories: women's family formation pathways in 'emerging adulthood' Paul R. Amato; 4. Models of change and continuity in romantic experiences Brennan J. Young, Wyndol Furman and Brett Laursen; 5. Working with dyadic data in studies of emerging adulthood: specific recommendations, general advice, and practical tips Robert A. Ackerman, M. Brent Donnellan and Deborah A. Kashy; Part III. The Developmental Context of Romantic Relationships in Emerging Adulthood: 6. Intergenerational continuities in economic pressure and couple conflict in romantic relationships Rand D. Conger, Ming Cui and Frederick O. Lorenz; 7. Linking parental divorce and marital discord to the timing of emerging adults' marriage and cohabitation Ming Cui, K. A. S. Wickrama, Frederick O. Lorenz and Rand D. Conger; 8. Family differentiation in emerging adulthood: the role of romantic relationships Camillo Regalia, Margherita Lanz, Semira Tagliabue and Claudia Manzi; Part IV. Relationship Processes in Emerging Adulthood: 9. The evolution of close relationships: adaptive challenges and relationship cognition in emerging adulthood Jon K. Maner and Saul L. Miller; 10. Initiating and evaluating close relationships: a task central to emerging adults relationship initiation Margaret S. Clark and Lindsey A. Beck; 11. Putting the romance back into sex: sexuality in romantic relationships Eva S. Lefkowitz, Meghan M. Gillen and Sara A. Vasilenko; 12. Understanding romantic relationships among emerging adults: the significant roles of cohabitation and ambiguity Scott M. Stanley, Galena K. Rhoades and Frank D. Fincham; 13. Implications of parasympathetic nervous system functioning for affect regulation and romantic relationships in emerging adulthood Lisa M. Diamond and Christopher P. Fagundes; Part V. Practical Implications: 14. Romantic relationships and mental health in emerging adulthood Joanne Davila; 15. Relationship education in emerging adulthood: problems and prospects Frank D. Fincham, Scott M. Stanley and Galena K. Rhoades; 16. Romantic relationships and academic/career trajectories in emerging adulthood Wendy D. Manning, Peggy C. Giordano, Monica A. Longmore and Andrea Hocevar.