Exploration of Intimacy in Intercultural and Intracultural Romantic Relationships in College Students

Abstract

This study explores the area of intercultural dating relationships. An intercultural relationship is characterized by two individuals that come from different religions, cultures, and/or races and label their relationship as romantic. Such couples have been taboo for much of history, but have rapidly increased within the past thirty years (Crohn, 1995). This study was developed to determine whether there is a difference in how individuals engaged in intercultural or intracultural relationships perceive their relationship in terms of various aspects of intimacy. One hundred and seven participants participated in the study. Participants were given the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR) scale, which explores how individuals perceive their relationship with a significant other on various aspects of intimacy. Results revealed that one subscale (social perceived) significantly differentiated the groups. Implications of this study are provided.