A new study by McGill University highlights the importance of “relationship clarity” in reducing loneliness and enhancing life satisfaction for single individuals actively dating. Researchers suggest that knowing what you want in a relationship leads to more fulfilling dating experiences and better overall well-being.
Single individuals who date without clear relationship goals are more likely to experience loneliness and lower life satisfaction, according to a new study by McGill University researchers. The concept of “relationship clarity,” developed by co-author Dita Kubin, a recent doctoral graduate in psychology from McGill, underscores the importance of knowing what one wants in a relationship.
The researchers conducted two studies, involving over 180 single young adults each, to explore the connections between relationship clarity, loneliness and life satisfaction.
In the first study, participants were asked to reflect on their current dating experiences and complete questionnaires assessing their relationship clarity, feelings of loneliness and general life satisfaction.
The second study followed a different set of single individuals for two months, using the same measurements.
“The repeated measures of our second study gave us more confidence that a lack of relationship clarity leads to loneliness, rather than loneliness creating a lack of relationship clarity,” lead author Katya Kredl, a doctoral student in psychology at McGill, said in a news release.
Kredl and her team found that individuals lacking relationship clarity may be less selective in their dating choices and more prone to settling for incompatible partners.
“People low in relationship clarity may be less selective in dating contexts, which could lead to unfulfilling dating experiences with incompatible partners,” Kredl added.
Moreover, uncertainty about relationship goals can lead to misinterpretation of social cues.
“Lacking relationship clarity may also lead people to interpret ambiguous cues as negative during their dates,” added Kredl. “When people feel uncertain about a social situation, they are more likely to interpret neutral cues as rejection, which then heightens feelings of loneliness.”
To validate the concept of relationship clarity, additional studies were conducted, allowing the researchers to compare it to related constructs, such as satisfaction with singlehood. Through this research, the team successfully confirmed that the relationship clarity scale measures something novel and distinct.
Loneliness, a significant public health concern, affects approximately 50% of Canadians and Americans according to recent government data. It is linked to various mental and physical health issues. Given that romantic relationships can be a primary source of social support, enhancing relationship clarity can potentially mitigate loneliness and improve overall life satisfaction.
“Moving forward, we are interested in developing an intervention to help people make their relationship goals clearer,” Kredl added, expressing hope that their findings could lead to practical applications to enhance the well-being of single individuals.
The research is published in the journal Personal Relationships.
Source: McGill University