Perceptions of turmoil within courtship: Associations with intimacy, relational uncertainty, and interference from partners

Abstract

The goal of this article is to test the relational turbulence model's explanation for people's perceptions of turmoil within courtship. It begins by deducing hypotheses about how intimacy, relational uncertainty, and interference from partners may predict perceptions of turmoil. Then, it reports the results of a cross-sectional, self-report investigation of 268 individuals involved in dating relationships. Consistent with the relational turbulence model, perceptions of turmoil were highest at moderate levels of intimacy (H1). Interference from partners (H4, H5), but not relational uncertainty (H2, H3), partially mediated the convex curvilinear association between intimacy and perceptions of turmoil. These results shed light on how individuals may experience the transition from casual dating to serious involvement within courtship.