Journal of Marriage and the Family · 1966 · 40 citations · 0 references
Social SciencesPsychologySocial PsychologyInterpersonal RelationshipsPersonality PsychologyProsocial BehaviorCouple RelationshipsCourtship BehaviorMating StrategiesRelationship FormationRelationship QualityRomantic RelationshipsCourtship Behavior AssessmentHuman Mating PsychologyRomantic Relationship DevelopmentSex Differences In Mating
This paper suggests that if it is possible to ascertain individuals' primary motivation in dating, their degree of instrumental orientation, and their degree of emotional involvement; it will be possible to predict the likelihood of conflict occurring in their relationship, which partner is likely to control the relationship. and which partner is likely to experience the greater distress. It is further suggested that motivations in dating are affected by social variables, as are the actual choice of dating partners and the course of the dating relationship. An illustrative dating situation is presented and analyzed in which the females' primary motivation in dating is courtship and the males' primary motivation is recreation.