Need Fulfillment and Missing a Partner in Long Distance Romantic Relationships

Abstract

In this study, the phenomenon of missing a romantic partner in a long-distance relationship (LDR) was investigated. One hundred sixty-three members of LDRs between the ages of 18-24 completed an online survey advertised on a social networking site and the Haverford College message boards. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between need fulfillment (NF) and missing a romantic partner as well as moderating variables such as expectations for a romantic partner to fulfill each need, the importance of each need, the fulfillment of each need by a social network member, participant sex, and attachment dimensions. A significant positive correlation was found between NF and missing a partner and significant interactions were found between NF and attachment avoidance, and NF and attachment anxiety in predicting missing a partner. It is suspected that commitment plays an important role in the association between NF and missing. Strengths, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.