Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Cottrell, Catherine

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

The current study seeks to determine the long-term effects of participation in an “age gap” relationship during adolescence. A sample of 153 participants, between the ages of 18 and 30, were asked about their age at their first significant relationship (in adolescence, ages 13-19) and their partner’s age, to determine an age difference. Then, measures of negotiation, relationship power, and jealousy perceptions were used to determine the dynamics of each participant’s recent or current adult romantic relationship. Past relationship age differences were then compared to recent relationship negotiation, relationship power, and jealousy perceptions scores, to determine a lasting effect of participation in age different relationships in youth. My hypotheses presumed that younger partners of adolescent age different relationships would be more negotiable, have positive views of jealousy, and less relationship power in their recent relationships than older partners or those that experienced same-age relationships. I presumed older partners of adolescent age different relationships would be less negotiable, have positive views of jealousy, and more relationship power in their current relationships when compared to younger partners or those who participated in same-age relationships. Both hypotheses were unsupported by statistically non-significant results. One explanation for these results was a non-diverse sample size in which 78.4% of the sample had age differences in their adolescent relationships of zero to one year. Additionally, the average time period between participants first significant relationships and their recent relationships was 3 years, a potentially long period of time in which effects could subside.

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