Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Symbolic Nature of Trust in Heterosexual Adolescent Romantic Relationships

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Archives of Sexual Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Trust contributes to young people’s capacity for sustaining current and future successful relationships. To date, research has yet to examine the meaning of trust in early dating relationships and reasons for its deterioration. The present study focused on video-recorded conversations about trust between 34 heterosexual adolescent couples in dating relationships living in the U.S. Transcripts from these conversations were qualitatively analyzed using thematic analysis to identify adolescents’ meanings of trust and reasons they provided for a lack of trust in their romantic partners. All 34 couples identified concerns specifically related to infidelity. Six major themes for not trusting romantic partners emerged. Results suggested that the lack of trust in romantic relationships might stem from several areas that are directly and indirectly related to the current relationship, including low self-esteem, the experience of betrayal in past romantic relationships, partners’ extradyadic behaviors, and gossip among peers. Importantly, peers can play a defining role in influencing young people’s perceptions of their romantic partners and developing or sustaining trust in their romantic relationships.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Multiple themes could be referenced in a single conversation; thus, the frequencies presented in this section will total a number greater than 34 because frequency of each referenced theme is taken into account.

References

  • Arnett, J. J. (2015). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Atkins, D. C., Baucom, D. H., & Jacobson, N. S. (2001). Understanding infidelity: Correlates in a national random sample. Journal of Family Psychology, 15, 735–749. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.15.4.735.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bauman, L. J., & Berman, R. (2005). Adolescent relationships and condom use: Trust, love and commitment. AIDS and Behavior, 9, 211–222. doi:10.1007/s10461-005-3902-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blow, A. J., & Hartnett, K. (2005). Infidelity in committed relationships II: A substantive review. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 31(2), 217–233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boon, S. (1994). Dispelling doubt and uncertainty: Trust in romantic relationships. In S. Duck (Ed.), Dynamics of relationships: Understanding relationship processes (Vol. 4, pp. 86–111). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boon, S. D., & Holmes, J. G. (1991). The dynamics of interpersonal trust: Resolving uncertainty in the face of risk. In R. A. Hinde & J. Groebel (Eds.), Cooperation and prosocial behavior (pp. 167–182). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowlby, J. (1984). Violence in the family as a disorder of the attachment and caregiving systems. American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 44, 9–27. doi:10.1007/BF01255416.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, B. B. (1999). “You’re going out with who?” Peer group influences on adolescent romantic relationships. In W. Furman, B. B. Brown, & C. Feiring (Eds.), The development of romantic relationships in adolescence (pp. 291–329). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J. D., & Keller, S. N. (2009). Blame or acclaim? The role of the media as teen sexuality educators. In E. Schroeder & J. Kuriansky (Eds.), Sexuality education: Past, present, and future, Vol. 4—Emerging techniques and technologies (pp. 75–97). Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers/Greenwood Publishing Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bukowski, W. M., Buhrmester, D., & Underwood, M. (2011). Peer relationships as a developmental context. In M. Underwood & L. Rosen (Eds.), Social development (pp. 153–179). New York, NY: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burr, W. R., Leigh, G. K., Day, R. D., & Constantine, J. (1979). Symbolic interaction and the family. In W. R. Burr, R. Hill, F. I. Nye, & I. L. Reiss (Eds.), Contemporary theories about the family (Vol. II, pp. 42–111). New York, NY: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buss, D. M., Larsen, R. J., Westen, D., & Semmelroth, J. (1992). Sex differences in jealousy: Evolution, physiology, and psychology. Psychological Science, 3, 251–255. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1992.tb00038.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, K., Wright, D. W., & Flores, C. G. (2012). Newlywed women’s marital expectations: Lifelong monogamy? Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 53, 108–125. doi:10.1080/10502556.2012.651966.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., & Crosby, L. (1997). Observed and reported psychological and physical aggression in young, at-risk couples. Social Development, 6, 184–206. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9507.1997.tb00101.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., Shortt, J. W., & Crosby, L. (2003). Physical and psychological aggression in at-risk young: Stability and change in young adulthood. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 1–27. doi:10.1353/mpq.2003.0001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Capaldi, D. M., & Wilson, J. (1992). The partner’s issues checklist. Unpublished questionnaire, available from Oregon Social Learning Center, 160 E. 4th Ave., Suite 202, Eugene, OR 97401.

  • Carver, K., Joyner, K., & Udry, J. R. (2003). National estimates of adolescent romantic relationships. In P. Florsheim (Ed.), Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications (pp. 23–56). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins, W. A. (2003). More than myth: The developmental significance of romantic relationships during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13, 1–24. doi:10.1111/1532-7795.1301001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, W. A., Welsh, D. P., & Furman, W. (2009). Adolescent romantic relationships. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 631–652. doi:10.1097/00001756-200011270-00046.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, J., & McIsaac, C. (2009). Adolescents’ explanations for romantic dissolutions: A developmental perspective. Journal of Adolescence, 32, 1209–1223. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2009.01.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davila, J. (2008). Depressive symptoms and adolescent romance: Theory, research, and implications. Child Development Perspectives, 2, 26–31. doi:10.1111/j.1750-8606.2008.00037.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davila, J. (2011). Romantic relationships and mental health in emerging adulthood. In F. D. Fincham & M. Cui (Eds.), Romantic relationships in emerging adulthood: Advances in personal relationships (pp. 275–292). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davila, J., & Lashman, L. (2016). The thinking girl’s guide to the right guy. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity, youth and crisis. New York, NY: W. W. Norton Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ewing, S. W. F., & Bryan, A. D. (2015). A question of love and trust? The role of relationship factors in adolescent sexual decision making. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 36, 628–634. doi:10.1097/DBP.0000000000000190.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Eyre, S. L., Auerswald, C., Hoffman, V., & Millstein, S. G. (1998). Fidelity management African-American adolescents’ attempts to control the sexual behavior of their partners. Journal of Health Psychology, 3, 393–406. doi:10.1177/135910539800300308.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fortenberry, J. D., Tu, W., Harezlak, J., Katz, B. P., & Orr, D. P. (2002). Condom use as a function of time in new and established adoelscent sexual relationships. American Journal of Public Health, 92, 211–213. doi:10.2105/AJPH.92.2.211.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W., & Buhrmester, D. (1992). Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child Development, 63, 103–115. doi:10.2307/1130905.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Furman, W., & Simon, V. (2008). Homophily in adolescent romantic realtionships. In M. J. Prinstein & K. A. Dodge (Eds.), Understanding peer influence in children and adolescence (pp. 203–224). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., Longmore, M. A., & Flanigan, C. M. (2011). Developmental shifts in the character of romantic and sexual relationships from adolescence to young adulthood. Early Adulthood in a Family Context, 2, 133. doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-1436-0_9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gonzaga, G. C., Campos, B., & Bradbury, T. (2007). Similarity, convergence, and relationship satisfaction in dating and married couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 34–48. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.93.1.34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Karney, B. R., Beckett, M., Collins, R., & Shaw, R. (2007). Adolescent romantic relationships as precursors of healthy adult marriages: A review of theory, research, and programs. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkman, M., Rosenthal, D., & Smith, M. A. (2007). Adolescent sex and the romantic narrative: Why some young heterosexuals use condoms to prevent pregnancy but not disease. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 3, 355–370. doi:10.1080/13548509808400610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laborde, N. D., vanDommelen-Gonzalez, E., & Minnis, A. M. (2014). Trust—that’s a big one: Intimate partnership values among urban Latino youth. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 16, 1009–1022. doi:10.1080/13691058.2014.921837.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson, R., & Richards, M. H. (1991). Daily companionship in late childhood and early adolescence: Changing developmental contexts. Child Development, 62, 284–300. doi:10.2307/1131003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Laurent, H. K., Kim, H. K., & Capaldi, D. M. (2009). Longitudinal effects of conflict behaviors on depressive symptoms in young couples. Journal of Family Psychology, 23, 596–605. doi:10.1037/a0015893.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Le, B., Dove, N. L., Agnew, C. R., Korn, M. S., & Mutso, A. A. (2010). Predicting nonmarital romantic relationship dissolution: A meta-analytic synthesis. Personal Relationships, 17, 377–390. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01285.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lenoir, C. D., Adler, N. E., Borzekowski, D. L. G., Tschann, J. M., & Ellen, J. M. (2006). What you don’t know can hurt you: Perceptions of sex-partner concurrency and partner-reported behavior. Journal of Adolescent Health, 38, 179–185. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.01.012.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, S. L., & Boon, S. D. (2012). Protect the individual or protect the relationship? A dual-focus model of indirect risk exposure, trust, and caution. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29, 262–283. doi:10.1177/0265407511431178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKay, M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The communication skills book. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, S., & Rosenthal, D. (1998). Adolescent sexual behavior. In J. Coleman & D. Roker (Eds.), Teenage sexuality: Health, risk, and education (pp. 35–54). The Netherlands, Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., & Collins, N. L. (2006). Optimizing assurance: The risk regulation system in relationships. Psychological Bulletin, 132, 641–666. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.641.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., & Griffin, D. W. (2000). Self-esteem and the quest for felt security: How perceived regard regulates attachment processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 478–498. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.3.478.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, S. L., Holmes, J. G., Griffin, D. W., Bellavia, G., & Rose, P. (2001). The mismeasure of love: How self-doubt contaminates relationship beliefs. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 423–436. doi:10.1177/0146167201274004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norona, J. C., Salvatore, J. F., Welsh, D. P., & Darling, N. (2014). Rejection sensitivity and adolescents’ perceptions of romantic interactions. Journal of Adolescence, 37, 1257–1267. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.09.003.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Owen, J., & Fincham, F. D. (2011). Young adults’ emotional reactions after hook up encounters. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 321–330. doi:10.1007/s10508-010-9652-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rempel, J. K., Ross, M., & Holmes, J. G. (2001). Trust and communicated attributions in close relatinoships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 57–64. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.81.1.57.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rueda, H. A., Lindsay, M., & Williams, L. R. (2015). “She posted it on Facebook”: Mexican American adolescents’ experiences with technology and romantic relationship conflict. Journal of Adolescent Research, 30, 419–445. doi:10.1177/0743558414565236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saldaña, J. (2013). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiffge-Krenke, I., & Shulman, S. (2012). Transformation in heterosexual romantic relationships across the transition into adolescence. In B. Laursen & W. A. Collins (Eds.), Relationship pathways: From adolescence to young adulthood (pp. 191–213). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, H. S. (1953). The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. New York, NY: W. W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Towner, S. L., Dolcini, M. M., & Harper, G. W. (2015). Romantic relationship dynamics of urban African American adolescents: Patterns of monogamy, commitment, and trust. Youth and Society, 47, 343–373. doi:10.1177/0044118X12462591.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend, J. M., & Wasserman, T. H. (2011). Sexual hookups among college students: Sex differences in emotional reactions. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40, 1173–1181. doi:10.1007/s10508-011-9841-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • van Dulmen, M. H. M., Goncy, E. A., Haydon, K. C., & Collins, A. W. (2008). Distinctiveness of adolescent and emerging adult romantic relationship features in predicting externalizing behavior problems. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37, 336–345. doi:10.1007/s10964-007-9245-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Welsh, D. P., & Dickson, J. W. (2005). Video-recall procedures for examining observational data and subjective understanding in family psychology. Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 62–71. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.19.1.62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Welsh, D. P., Grello, C. M., Dickson, J. W., & Harper, M. S. (2001). The adolescent couples’ issues checklist. Unpublished questionnaire, Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

  • Welsh, D. P., Grello, C. M., & Harper, M. S. (2003). When love hurts: Depression and adolescent romantic relationships. In P. Florsheim (Ed.), Adolescent romantic relations and sexual behavior: Theory, research, and practical implications (pp. 185–211). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, J. M., Klein, D. M., & Martin, T. F. (2015). Family theories: An introduction (4th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wieselquist, J. (2009). Interpersonal forgiveness, trust, and the investment model of commitment. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 531–548. doi:10.1177/0265407509347931.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wieselquist, J., Rusbult, C. E., Foster, C. A., & Agnew, C. R. (1999). Commitment, pro-relationship behavior, and trust in close relatinoships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 942–966. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.77.5.942.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, L. R., & Hickle, K. E. (2011). “He cheated on me, I cheated on him back”: Mexican American and White adolescents’ perceptions of cheating in romantic relationships. Journal of Adolescence, 34, 1005–1016. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2010.11.007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 1404 Circle Drive, Austin Peay Building, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Jerika C. Norona & Deborah P. Welsh

  2. Department of Child and Family Studies, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Spencer B. Olmstead

  3. Department of Psychology, College of the Liberal Arts, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Chloe F. Bliton

Authors
  1. Jerika C. Norona
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Deborah P. Welsh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Spencer B. Olmstead
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chloe F. Bliton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jerika C. Norona.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Norona, J.C., Welsh, D.P., Olmstead, S.B. et al. The Symbolic Nature of Trust in Heterosexual Adolescent Romantic Relationships. Arch Sex Behav 46, 1673–1684 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-0971-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-017-0971-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation