`I Love You Too Much to Ever Start Liking You': Redefining Romantic Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the likelihood that a disengaged romantic relationship will be redefined as a friendship rather than completely terminated. College students were surveyed about a recalled romantic relationship that either broke up or evolved into a friendship. Respondents answered questions regarding characteristics of the relationship prior to its decline, strategies used to disengage the relationship, and feelings during the disengaging period. Results indicated that being friends prior to romantic involvement was a significant predictor of friendship, both for people who initiated the disengagement and for those who were recipients of partner's desire for disengagement. In addition, for those who initiated disengagement, withdrawal strategies and feelings of being taken advantage of in the relationship were negatively related to post-disengagement friendship. For persons who were recipients of partner's desire for disengagement, positive tone strategies were positively related to post-disengagement friendship while manipulation strategies were negatively related to post-disengagement friendship.