Hooking up seems to be the way people obtain relationship status, even if many prefer long-term relationships, but is this really the norm? And what effect does it have on the quality of relationships?
According to research from Cornell and the University of Wisconsin, many low-to middle-class people started “having sex within a month of dating, indicating that they entered relationships relatively quickly. However, the researchers also found that couples’ happiness in their relationships appears to be negatively impacted by how quickly they started having sex”
Sharon Sassler, Fenaba R. Addo, and Daniel T. Lichter speculate that “becoming sexually involved early in a relationship may not be healthy and may in fact entangle couples who are not a good “match” before they have had the opportunity to become adequately acquainted”
Theories are put forth by the researchers: the first, “Relationships that progress more slowly into sexual involvement will be of higher quality-across many different dimensions than relationships that proceed rapidly, Individuals who cohabited prior to marriage will report lower levels of relationship quality than individuals who married directly, and finally, Cohabitation will lessen the correlation between the tempo and quality of a relationship”
The findings showed, sexual engagement started quite early: “for 36.5% of the men and nearly one-third (32.9%) of the women started to sexual involvement within the first month. About 28% of both men and women said they waited longer than six months to have a sexual relationship”
The findings suggest that, at least for “women, the postponement of sexual involvement is associated with higher levels of relationship quality”
The speed of entry into sexual relationships is negatively associated with marital quality, but only among women. Women appear to consider sexual activity even at a very young age as an indication of a deeper level of commitment in a relationship.
This study provides more evidence to support the common sense conclusion that having “sex is a sign of commitment. When a couple engages in sexual activity, they make a whole new commitment to one another sometimes without getting to know one another well enough to determine whether the relationship is a good idea.”
(Source: Bryce J. Christensen and Nicole M. King, “New Research,” The Family in America)
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