Romantic Intimacy

Romantic Intimacy

Mustafa ÇEVRİM / 1791581



Reaction To the Article ‘Investigation of Starting Romantic Intimacy in Emerging Adulthood in terms of Self-Esteem, Gender and Gender Roles’

In this article, Eryılmaz and Atak (2011) conduct a research to see relationship between self-esteem, gender, gender roles and initiating romantic intimacy at emerging adulthood which is period that experienced after adolescence and before adulthood. Researchers trying to understand firstly whether gender plays certain role in starting romantic intimacy at emerging adulthood period, secondly different gender roles have an effect on starting romantic intimacy and finally which levels of self-esteem and gender roles predict the ability to starting romantic intimacy.

They are testing their hypotheses by collecting data from 256 university students aged between 19-25 years, 108 males and 148 females, participants mean age is 22.59 years. In order to measure effects of self-esteem, gender and gender roles on starting romantic intimacy researchers used personal information form, Markers of Starting Romantic Intimacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Bem Gender Roles Inventory were used. At the end of the study these information are getting: In terms of gender, males are able to start romantic intimacy more easily than the females; in terms of gender roles masculine and androgynous gender roles were found to be higher than individuals with feminene and undifferentiated gender roles and variables of self-esteem, femininity and masculinty are significant determinants of startint romantic intimacy.




Being aware of cultural context is so important in a research. While testing effects of variables on starting romantic intimacy mentioning that study findings may be interpreted within a cultural context will prevent the wrong interpretation of findings in literature. Moreover, researchers have a good point on concept of identity. Self-esteem, gender and gender roles...

Similar Essays