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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
RATIONALE
During adolescence, teens become interested and involved in dating because of the desire to belong

with others. As a result, it is clear that over the time, romantic relationships gain in importance. Adolescents

crave to have an intimate romantic relationship to which love is given and received without restriction. It is

according to then need to belong theory by which individuals have the determination to connect with others

in enduring, close relationships. Furthermore, the theory states that humans “share” the same need to be a part

or connected with other individuals, and claims that tall individuals may live life better if they are connected.

Myers (2010) supported the need to belong theory by asserting that people who find a person complimenting

their needs to whom they can share their problems with, makes those people more acknowledgeable.

Belongingness is supported by close, intimate relationship which tends to be healthier and happier

Because of this need to belong, we can see nowadays that most students are synchronizing their time

in both academic and romantic aspect. Engaging themselves in this romantic relationship enables them to feel

that someone cares for them, shows affection to them, loves them, etc. In fact, Furman (2002) reported that

romantic relationships become more and more significant to adolescents in their social world as they also

develop from puberty towards late adolescence in which it shows how prevalent is romantic relationship

among adolescents

Moreover, some students on the Iligan City National High School have also

involved themselves in a romantic relationship. Having been in an institution which

promotes honor and excellence among its students gave them a great challenge to maintain

a good academic performance. Considering that each teacher has higher expectations of

the students, an increase of workloads which includes projects, school papers, reports and
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challenging exams were given. Therefore, being student of ICNHS gives them more

responsibility and it requires a great amount of time and attention. In addition, Myers

(2010) said that relationships also consume much of the life of university students. It is

proven in the study of Mehl & Pennebaker (2003) conducted to 11 participants (using

Electronically Activated Recorder for each participant) coming from the University of

Texas at Austin, that 28 percent of the students’ waking hours were spent just by talking

to their romantic partners and it did not include the time they spent in listening to their

romantic partners. Another study (Steinhauer & Holson, 2008) cited by Myers (2010)

found that an average American 13-18 years old sent or received 1,742 test messages per

month. Most often these young texters have been involved in romantic relationships.

Furthermore, research conducted by Campbell & Oliver(1994) found benefits in having a

romantic relationship such as “companionship, feeling of happiness or elation, exclusivity,

feeling loved or loving another, intimacy, self-growth and self-understanding, and more

positive self-esteem”(). These benefits found in a romantic relationship were said to be the

cause of motivation of the students in pursuing their studies.

However, Campbell & Oliver (1994) also pointed out some costs which are found

in a romantic relationship, namely: stress and worry about the relationship, social and non-

social sacrifices, increased dependence on the partner, fights, time and effort investment,

and feeling worse about the self which were said to be the cause of anxiety of the students.

Having been in these situations, Senior high students who are in a romantic relationship

may be faced with the challenge in maintaining a good academic performance.INCHS

students have greater responsibility to do well in their studies since it is the nation which

subsidized most of its students to provide them a quality education. Consequently, a

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question on the effect of romantic relationship among the students involved, whether they

can manage their time efficiently or not still remains. Moreover, determining the vital role

of motivation and anxiety in the life of the romantic partners and how they affect their

academic performance still remain a problem. In order to answer these problems, this study

was aimed to determine the effects of romantic relationship on the academic performance

of Senior High Students in Iligan city Nation high school who are involved in a romantic

relationship. In this, status of time management was investigated as well as the levels of

motivation and anxiety of the students

Conceptual Framework

ROMANTIC
RELATION SHIP
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TIME LEVELS OF LEVELS OF

MOTIVATION ANXIETY
MANAGEMENT AS A AS A
STUDENT STUDENT

ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE OF
SENIOR HIGH STUDENTS
Theoretical Framework

To have a guide towards explaining the effects of romantic relationships on the

academic performance of Senior High School students, the researchers will use two
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important theories which will also introduce the main variables of this study. The first

theory to be considered is the “Need to Belong” theory (Baumiester & Leary, 1995) which

asserts that all humans share a common need to be connected withothers, and common

sense signals that individuals’ lives are better for being connected. Furthermore,

Baumiester & Leary (1995) proposed that the “need to belong” has twoaspects: (1) people

want a stable and enduring context of concern and caring, (2)people need frequent

interaction with the same person.

As stipulated in the first aspect, people want a constant perspective of being loved

and cared. Myers (2010) supported this theory by stating that people who find supportive

person whom they can disclose makes them feel accepted and prized. Headded that this

situation is associated with the arousal of behavior (i.e., irrepressible joy and happiness) to

the persons involved which causes them to be driven by their goals in life.

However, Myer (2010) stated that there are certain external situations (factors)

which occur in the course of relationship and these situations thwarted the need to belong.

Consequently, Baumeister and Leary (as cited in Gere & MacDonald, 2010) affirmed that

these threats would lead to them to focus their attention on their “relationships and social

connections”, which, by consuming limited cognitive resources, may lead to impairments

in processing in other domains.

Results of the study of DeWall, Baumeister, & Vohs (as cited in Gere &

MacDonald, 2010) supported Baumeister and Leary’s proposition by showing negative

impact of the threat to belongingness on the performance of different cognitive tasks.

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In the meantime, as what Baumiester & Leary (1995) proposed in the second

feature of the need to belong, a person has to frequently interact or get in touch with with

the same person or group in order to accomplish the state of full belongingness. This aspect

gives rise to the second theory which will be used in this study. “Social Exchange” theory

according to Wang (2004), explains how interactions are maintained by exchanging

benefits to each person involved in the relationship. Moreover, Wang (2004) introduced

the concept of “cost and reward” which are the basis of this theory. She stated that rewards

are the things which are received and give benefit to the receiver. Meanwhile, costs are the

things which are lost at the course of giving sources. Cost is associated with the giver of

sources.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The main thrust of the study was to determine the outcome of romantic relationships

to the academic performance of male and female of selected Senior high students in Iligan

City National High School (A.Y. 2019-2020, First Sem) who were involved in a romantic

relationship during the academic year 2019-2020.

Specifically, this study seek to answer the following questions:

1. . What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

a.gender,

b.general weighted average in the A.Y 2010-2011 1st sem,

c general weighted average in the A.Y. 2010-2011 2nd sem?

2. . What is the status of time management of the respondents:

a. in studying,

b. with their partner?

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3. . What is the level of anxiety of the respondents in playing their role as a student?

4. . What is the level of motivation of the respondents in playing their role as a

student?