Author(s): Melodi Brooke
Mentor(s): Patrick McFadden
Institution SUU
The ideal college experience has been a persistent topic of conversation in the media as young adult singles capitalize on their newfound independence by seeking out new social circles, thrilling or dangerous activities, and romantic relationships on campus. For many, entering college or university is a drastic life change with numerous obstacles and a lack of readily available support. Some students may pursue a new romantic connection to alleviate the discomfort of loneliness, while others may continue their preexisting relationships throughout higher education. Although the convenience of attending the same institution often accounts for the physical proximity of the partnership, is it a reliable indication of relationship longevity? Postsecondary educational pursuits have played a substantial role in dating decisions in the modern age. Although nearly half of all college students have or will pursue a long-distance dating relationship (LDDR), the risks associated have dissuaded many from viewing LDDRs as legitimate, long-lasting relationship options. Through naturalistic observations, this study seeks to determine if there are any significant differences between the longevity of romantic relationships when the couple attends the same versus separate universities or colleges in the United States. 50 couples were randomly selected from public student profiles on social media and the published duration of their relationships and geographic distances between academic institutions were compared. A two independent samples t-test was run to analyze the two relationship lifestyles and draw conclusions about whether or not the length of the relationship was affected by distance. The findings established no significant difference between the span of the two groups.