Join Dr. Scott Stanley for a webinar and conversation on the nature of commitment. He will focus on four or five of his favorite ideas from commitment theory and research. He has studied relationship commitment for over 40 years, including work on theory, measurement, and practical implications. While he will not attempt a sweeping review, he will instead focus on the ideas he has found most engaging and useful for understanding relationships. Put to the Sound of Music, “these are a few of my favorite things.” (He will not plan to sing, however.) Topics covered include: Why is commitment more interesting than relationship satisfaction? Attachment vs. commitment. Commitment and the transformation of motivation. The nature of alternatives, from the issue of quality to the implications of monitoring; and The role of choice, structure, and chaos in how relationships develop. Let’s dig in together on some profound aspects of how commitment…
Commitment
Lopsided Love: Asymmetrical Commitment in Romantic Relationships One of the greatest insights on lopsided commitment came from sociologist Willard Waller in 1936, when he described the “principle of least interest,” defined in this way: “That person is able to dictate the conditions of association whose interest in the continuation of the affair is least.’’ Analogously, the person who is most committed has the least power in a relationship. There is a growing and robust literature on asymmetrical commitment, with studies showing that it is associated not only with poor relationship dynamics but also specific personal characteristics such as attachment difficulties. Dr. Scott Stanley and Dr. Galena Rhoades have published numerous papers on this topic. In this talk, they will describe what’s up with lopsided love. Objectives: Participants will: Learn about the nature and consequences of asymmetrically committed romantic relationships regarding relationship quality, relationship stability, and risks for aggression. Be able…
Young People’s Experiences and Thoughts on Relationships Today: A conversation with Marline Pearson Many of us wonder about young people’s current lived experience and aspirations regarding their relationships. For instance: Do adolescents still date? Do they still hope for a long-term committed partner or spouse? How are young people thinking about their intimate relationships? How are they visualizing their current or future families? Join Love Notes author and noted thought leader, Marline Pearson, as she shares her experiences and reflections that come from teaching thousands of young people at Madison College, a two-year technical and community college as well as younger teens through STEM and Gateway programs. She will also share the different messages she gives young people from teens to late twenties about how best to approach relationships during those years. Note: This is a conversational format. Please come prepared with questions to ask Marline. Objectives: Participants will be…
50% to 65% of Americans believe that living together before marriage will improve their odds of relationship success, and 70% of newly married couples in the U.S. live together prior to marrying. But is what people believe true? In this webinar, researchers from the University of Denver will briefly highlight the association between premarital cohabitation and marital outcomes. Using the latest findings from a new, national survey on premarital cohabitation conducted in 2022, they will update prior work and findings with people who married for the first time between 2010 and 2019. Join Galena Rhoads and Scott Stanley as they discuss the mechanisms of risk in premarital cohabitation and the implications for working with youth and young adults. The discussion will be followed by an extensive question and answer session. Objectives: Participants will be able to: Describe the historical and latest findings on premarital cohabitation research Understand implications for youth…
Join Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, and of Public Affairs at University of Wisconsin-Madison, to learn about the concept of on-again and off-again relationships known as “Relationship Churning.” Join her as she discusses the frequency of relationship churning among young adults and parents, explains the associated predictors, and reflects on how practitioners can recognize them, including implications for their work. Webinar Participants will be able to: Explain what a churning relationship is Explain the frequency of and factors associated with churning relationships Reflect on the implications of churning relationships for practice Presenters: Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin – Madison Resources: Relationship Churning Slide Deck + Research The book referenced during the webinar is: Dailey, R. M. (2019). On-again, off-again relationships: Navigating (in) stability in romantic relationships. Cambridge University Press.
Americans today are increasingly waiting longer to marry, if they marry at all. Are today’s young people no longer interested in forming families? What types of relationships they are experiencing? Explore research on young people’s attitudes toward relationship formation, their dating and romantic relationships, and the quality of their relationships in this webinar. Program providers will better meet the needs of the youth they serve by placing their participants’ experiences within broader U.S. trends. In this webinar, Drs. Karen Benjamin Guzzo and Wendy D. Manning will discuss preliminary findings of new work from the Marriage Strengthening and Research Dissemination (MAST) Center on adolescents’ and young adults’ relationship expectations and experiences, drawing on a review of recent research as well as new analyses of the National Survey of Family Growth. Objectives: Webinar participants will understand: Teens’ and young adults’ expectations of cohabitation and marriage. Recent trends in dating and other romantic…
From hooking up, to living together, to bearing children prior to clarity about having a future together, relationship and family development has changed. New paradigms have important implications for how we understand the romantic and sexual relationships of young adults. Ambiguity is a preferred condition of relationships for many, which makes it easier to finesse intentions and hide asymmetrical commitment. However, this new relationship paradigm can lead to a person losing life options before making a clear choice about what they want the most. In this webinar, Scott Stanley, Ph.D. will explain the ways motivated ambiguity intersects with types of commitment (e.g., constraint and dedication) to impact mate selection and lasting love. Some themes include the role of commitment in securing attachment, asymmetrical commitment, and research on how common types of relationship transitions can impact long-term outcomes. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Understand how teen and early adulthood…
Does marriage still perform a valuable role in today’s society? Or, is it just another quaint tradition or something only a privileged few seek and attain? Join Kay Reed, Executive Director of The Dibble Institute, as she shares recent trends in family formation; explores the most recent data on marriage, cohabitation, and single parenting; and brings it back to what matters to children. Explore ways to integrate these skills and concepts about building healthy relationships into your programs, sometimes in unexpected ways. Objectives: Webinar participants will be able to: Describe current marriage trends and adolescents’ views of marriage. Identify current research questions in the field. Communicate why family form matters to adults, youth, and children. Presenters: Kay Reed, President and Executive Director, The Dibble Institute Who should attend: Healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood grantees, healthy relationship program staff, child abuse prevention advocates, mental health practitioners, family stabilization coaches, and employability specialists. When: Wednesday,…