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student development : Effects of Romantic Relationship on

college student development
Introduction to Engineering (San José State University)

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Name: TRAM PHAN

ENGR10
Lecture section 01/ Lab 08
March 19, 2018
Effects of Romantic Relationship on college student development

1. Introduction
This article will discuss the impact of a romantic relationship of young people aged
period from the late teens through the mid-twenties in the development of: cognitive, emotional,
social, and physical domain. Based on the different researches of each domains, this article will
give a general overview and understanding of the impact of romantic relationship at this stage.
Young adults at this age have a distinctive development characteristic. At the sage of emerging
adulthood, young people often seek and long for romantic relationships and ideal love. They are
also in the stage of believing they can do everything. However, during this period, many of them
still felt they were not fully mature and still did not fully achieve all the aspects they desired.
Researching and providing knowledge not only about the necessities of life, but also about areas
such as romantic relationships for this age are essential. Therefore, by understanding the impact
of romantic relationship on those domains, young adults can come up with solutions to prevent,
minimize negative effects, or promote positive effects.

2. Cognitive Development Domain

For young people in the emerging adulthood phase, cognitive development is manifested
in memory, perceptiveness, attitudes toward learning and work, ideas, beliefs, and so on. The
purpose of Schmidt’s study was to examine the impact of romantic relationships on the academic
performance of college-aged teens in the Northeast United States (Schmidt, 2017). Data was
collected and analyzed from over three hundred students. Researchers wanted to determine
whether the impact of romantic relationships was related to absences in the classroom of
students. Within two weeks, continuous interviews were conducted with over forty different
questions about the status of the student, the curriculum vitae, the course activities, the romantic
relationships, and so on. The average GPA and class attendance would then be calculated and
compared. However, the influence of romantic relationships on GPA scores was negligible. The
results showed that people who are in a romantic relationship have a higher rate of absenteeism,
twice as many as those who were not committed to romantic relationships. However, being
absent in class could also lead to a negative impact on academic achievement. The meaning of
this study was to discover and re-examine the balance between romantic relationships and
investment in education. Researchers also hoped that this would be a hint of future research into
the impact of friendships, the affinity of the academic achievement of college students.

3. Emotional Development Domain

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Emotional domain focuses on the influence and development of emotions in emerging

adulthood on aspects such as: Self-esteem; sympathy, mental health, stress, anger, happiness, etc.
In the study of Matthew Larson, the author and his colleagues used the 1997 survey of cohorts of
the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, concluding that the breakup in relationships not only
resulted in the objects become antisocial, but it also made male more likely to use substances and
increase in offending. Females also increased the ability to use substances (Larson, 2012). This
study was based on: general strain theory, the age-grade theory of informal social control, and
delinquent peer exposure. The survey based on an oversample of Black and Hispanic youth, born
from 1980 to 1984. The dating relationship and other control variables were eighteen to twenty-
three years old. The criminal offending questions were asked for every sample. Highlighted in
the study, psychological research had led to the conclusion that the breakdown of relationships
negatively affects the use of cocaine. Those who broke up tended to drink more alcohol and
more likely to engage in crime. After a break up relationship, a lot of people suffered from sleep
disorders, felt tired, had negative thoughts and felt a lot of pressure. Moreover, feelings of loss
after relationship created more pain on emotions and the formation of stress. Other common
symptoms may include anger, hatred, feeling insecure, feeling empty, and so on. Researchers had
been discussing the relationship between the breakdown of relationships and the potential for
offenses of young people in this age group. Understanding the psychology and the negative
effects of farewell could help prevent and avoid unfortunate consequences in the future.

4. Social Development Domain

At this stage of emerging adulthood, social development can be exploited and evaluated
based on relationships with parents, friends, the community, with different cultures, and so on.
The purpose of De Goede’s study was to examine the relationship of adolescents to the
relationship between romantic relationships and the development of adolescents' perceptions of
commitment to parents and friends (De Goede,2012). The study was based on two hundred and
eighteen young people, including thirty-nine percent male. Growth curves have led to the
conclusion that people who were committed to romantic relationships tended to have more
cohesion and developed stronger relationships with friends and parents. There was no gender
difference affecting the results. At the same time, people who had a close bond with their parents
and friends often achieved higher quality relationships when they come to romantic
relationships. In a nutshell, research had shown the importance and interconnection of
relationships between parents, friends, and romantic relationships. Since then, equality and
respect for the above relationships in this emerging adulthood stage is necessary.

5. Physical Development Domain

The relationship between romantic relationship in this age and physical development can
be explored in terms of: physical activities, high blood pressure, STDs/HIV/AIDS, fitness, etc.
The study of Braithwaite and his team was based on a survey of 1621 college students who were
in a romantic relationship and not in a romantic relationship (Braithwaite, 2010). The purpose of
the study was to discover how romantic relationships affect physical development of college
students. Participants included sixty four percent of women and came from many different races,
such as Latin America, Asia, Spain, and so on. Participants were weighed and measured their

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height to calculate BMI. Students were also asked for information related to their sex life, such
as the how many times they had involved in which kind of sexual activities. The study went one
step further by focused on exploring the relationship between sex and its diseases such as
hepatitis C, the virus in the cervix. Research had shown that students who were in love or were
engaged in a relationship often had a positive mood and felt happier. Participants who were in a
romantic relationship had less problems with their health and were less likely to be overweight or
obese. In addition, people who were engaged in a relationship tended to limit their sexual
partners, thereby reducing the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The study also discussed the
understanding of relationships that could help improve marital happiness. In general, a healthy
romantic relationship will have a positive effect on physical fitness. In contrast, an unhealthy
romantic relationship with multiple partners increases the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

6. Conclusion
In general, at this stage, young people have the belief that they can master all aspects of
life such as balancing college performance, working non-stop, having a healthy physical, a
thoughtful mind, a happy spirit, and a perfect love. However, the truth is that the world is not all
pink and love is the same. Relationships have positive and negative effects on other important
aspects of one's life in this age of emerging adulthood. Having a romantic relationship can be led
to increase their chance to skip class; therefore, it can have negative effect on academic
performance. Furthermore, breaking up increases the ability to be stressed, sleepless, and even
increase the ability to use drugs. However, studies have also shown that engagement with a
romantic relationship can have positive physical effects such as reduced weight gain and sexual
disease. In addition, the emphasis on romantic relationships also increases the ability of young
people to connect with their parents, friends and vice versa. Knowing who they are and having a
proper orientation to their romantic relationships will help make it possible for people in
emerging adulthood to develop cognitive, emotional, social, and physical in a better way. In my
own experience, romantic relationships are necessary for the experience of youth and I have also
learned a lot from these relationships. The positive emotions and excitement motivate me to want
to be better and to improve myself towards a better future with my half. I also became strong and
rational after the pain and loss from a broken love. I think the most important thing in this age is
to love with a warm heart and think with a cold head.

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References:

Braithwaite, S. R., Delevi, R., & Fincham, F. D. (2010). Romantic relationships and the physical

and mental health of college students. Personal Relationships, 17(1), 1-12.

doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01248.x

De Goede, Irene H. A., Branje, S., van Duin, J., VanderValk, I. E., & Meeus, W. (2012).

Romantic relationship commitment and its linkages with commitment to parents and friends

during adolescence. Social Development, 21(3), 425-442. doi:10.1111/j.1467-

9507.2011.00633.x

Larson, M., & Sweeten, G. (2012). Breaking up is hard to do: Romantic dissolution, offending,

and substance use during the transition to adulthood*. Criminology, 50(3), 605-636.

doi:10.1111/j.1745-9125.2012.00272.x

Schmidt, J., & Lockwood, B. (2017). Love and other grades. Journal of College Student 

Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 19(1), 81-97. doi:10.1177/1521025115611614

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