Motivation for Forming and Maintaining Romantic Relationships, Trust in Close Relationships, and Intimacy

Abstract

The present study aimed to examine the correlates of students’ motivation for forming romantic relationships, trust in their romantic partner, and intimacy among adolescents. Undergraduates (N=185) who were currently in romantic relationships completed a questionnaire. The results were as follows. (a) Exploratory factor analysis of the scale for students’ motivation for forming romantic relationships revealed 4 factors: “intrinsic regulation,” “identified regulation,” “internalized regulation,” and “external regulation.” (b) The scale for students’ trust in their romantic partner revealed 4 factors: “evaluation of role accomplishment,” “sense of security,” “distrust,” and “difficulty.” (c) A high level of intrinsic regulation was related to a high level of sense of security and a high level of intimacy. (d) The correlations differed according to the students’ gender.