College students responded to a survey of their expectations for communication behaviors, qualities, activities, and personal disclosures they associate with male-female relationships labeled friends, hanging-out, talking, casual dating, dating, boyfriend/girlfriend, and romantic relationship. The results show specific relationship differences and suggest three relational categories: nonromantic (friend), preromantic (talking, hanging-out, and casual dating), and romantic (dating, boyfriend/girlfriend, and romantic relationship). Of the 23 activities evaluated, 17 significantly differed among the relationships. Although this study finds specific differences between relationship labels and categories, it also found a core set of expectations that exists across all relationships that might be regarded as fundamental to any interpersonal relationship.
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mark_redmond/11/
This is an unpublished article by Redmond, M.V. We’re not dating. We’re just ‘talking’.” Expectations Associated with Male–Female Relationship Labels. 2018; 1-50. Posted with permission.