Editing Intimate relationship (section)

== Social and cultural variability ==

=== Culture ===
Cultural context has influence in many domains within intimate relationships including norms in communication, expression of affection, commitment and marriage practices, and [[gender role]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rokach |first=Ami |date=2023 |title=Love Culturally: How Does Culture Affect Intimacy, Commitment & Love |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2023.2244129 |journal=The Journal of Psychology |volume=158 |issue=1 |pages=84–114 |doi=10.1080/00223980.2023.2244129 |pmid=37647358 |s2cid=261394941 |issn=0022-3980|url-access=subscription }}</ref> For example, [[cross-cultural]] research finds that individuals in China prefer indirect and implicit communication with their romantic partner, whereas European Americans report preferring direct communication. The use of a culturally appropriate communication style influences anticipated relationship satisfaction.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ge |first1=Fiona |last2=Park |first2=Jiyoung |last3=Pietromonaco |first3=Paula R. |date=2022 |title=How You Talk About It Matters: Cultural Variation in Communication Directness in Romantic Relationships |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00220221221088934 |journal=Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology |language=en |volume=53 |issue=6 |pages=583–602 |doi=10.1177/00220221221088934 |s2cid=247959876 |issn=0022-0221|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Culture can also impact expectations within a relationship and the relative importance of various relationship-centered values such as emotional closeness, equity, status, and autonomy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cionea |first1=Ioana A. |last2=Van Gilder |first2=Bobbi J. |last3=Hoelscher |first3=Carrisa S. |last4=Anagondahalli |first4=Deepa |date=2019-10-02 |title=A cross-cultural comparison of expectations in romantic relationships: India and the United States |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17513057.2018.1542019 |journal=Journal of International and Intercultural Communication |language=en |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=289–307 |doi=10.1080/17513057.2018.1542019 |s2cid=150097472 |issn=1751-3057|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

While [[love]] has been identified as a universal human [[emotion]],<ref>{{Citation |last1=Treger |first1=Stanislav |title=Love |date=2014 |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1706 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research |pages=3708–3712 |editor-last=Michalos |editor-first=Alex C. |access-date=2023-11-21 |place=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Netherlands |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_1706 |isbn=978-94-007-0752-8 |last2=Sprecher |first2=Susan |last3=Hatfield |first3=Elaine C.|url-access=subscription }}</ref> the ways love is expressed and its importance in intimate relationships vary based on the culture within which a relationship takes place. Culture is especially salient in structuring beliefs about institutions that recognize intimate relationships such as [[marriage]]. The idea that love is necessary for marriage is a strongly held belief in the United States,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Simpson |first1=Jeffry A. |last2=Campbell |first2=Bruce |last3=Berscheid |first3=Ellen |date=1986 |title=The Association between Romantic Love and Marriage: Kephart (1967) Twice Revisited |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0146167286123011 |journal=Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin |language=en |volume=12 |issue=3 |pages=363–372 |doi=10.1177/0146167286123011 |s2cid=145051003 |issn=0146-1672|url-access=subscription }}</ref> whereas in India, a distinction is made between traditional [[arranged marriage]]s and "[[love marriage]]s" (also called personal choice marriages).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Cardona |first1=Betty |last2=Bedi |first2=Robinder P. |last3=Crookston |first3=Bradley J. |date=2019 |title=Choosing Love Over Tradition: Lived Experiences of Asian Indian Marriages |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1066480719852994 |journal=The Family Journal |language=en |volume=27 |issue=3 |pages=278–286 |doi=10.1177/1066480719852994 |s2cid=195554512 |issn=1066-4807|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== LGBTQ+ intimacy ===

==== Same-sex intimate relationships ====
Advances in legal [[Same-sex marriage|relationship recognition]] for same-sex couples have helped normalize and legitimize same-sex intimacy.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hopkins |first1=Jason J. |last2=Sorensen |first2=Anna |last3=Taylor |first3=Verta |date=2013 |title=Same-Sex Couples, Families, and Marriage: Embracing and Resisting Heteronormativity 1 |url=https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/soc4.12016 |journal=Sociology Compass |language=en |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=97–110 |doi=10.1111/soc4.12016 |issn=1751-9020|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Broadly, same-sex and different-sex intimate relationships do not differ significantly, and couples report similar levels of relationship satisfaction and stability.<ref name="Peplau-2007">{{Cite journal |last1=Peplau |first1=Letitia Anne |last2=Fingerhut |first2=Adam W. |date=2007 |title=The Close Relationships of Lesbians and Gay Men |url=https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085701 |journal=Annual Review of Psychology |language=en |volume=58 |issue=1 |pages=405–424 |doi=10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085701 |pmid=16903800 |issn=0066-4308|url-access=subscription }}</ref> However, research supports a few common differences between same-sex and different-sex intimacy. In the relationship formation period, the boundaries between friendship and romantic intimacy may be more nuanced and complex among sexual minorities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Diamond |first1=Lisa M. |last2=Dubé |first2=Eric M. |date=2002 |title=Friendship and Attachment Among Heterosexual and Sexual-Minority Youths: Does the Gender of Your Friend Matter? |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1023/A:1014026111486 |journal=Journal of Youth and Adolescence |language=en |volume=31 |issue=2 |pages=155–166 |doi=10.1023/A:1014026111486 |s2cid=142987585 |issn=0047-2891|url-access=subscription }}</ref> For instance, many lesbian women report that their romantic relationships developed from an existing friendship.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vetere |first=Victoria A. |date=1982 |title=The Role of Friendship in the Development and Maintenance of Lesbian Love Relationships |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J082v08n02_07 |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |language=en |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=51–65 |doi=10.1300/J082v08n02_07 |pmid=7166643 |issn=0091-8369|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Certain relationship maintenance practices also differ. While heterosexual relationships might rely on traditional [[gender role]]s to divide labor and decision-making power, same-sex couples are more likely to divide housework evenly.<ref name="Peplau-2007" /> Lesbian couples report lower frequency of sex compared to heterosexual couples, and gay men are more likely to engage in [[non-monogamy]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Parsons |first1=Jeffrey T. |last2=Starks |first2=Tyrel J. |last3=Gamarel |first3=Kristi E. |last4=Grov |first4=Christian |date=2012 |title=Non-monogamy and sexual relationship quality among same-sex male couples |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22906124/ |journal=Journal of Family Psychology |volume=26 |issue=5 |pages=669–677 |doi=10.1037/a0029561 |issn=1939-1293 |pmid=22906124}}</ref>

Same-sex relationships face unique challenges with regards to stigma, [[discrimination]], and [[social support]]. As couples cope with these obstacles, relationship quality can be negatively affected.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rostosky |first1=Sharon Scales |last2=Riggle |first2=Ellen DB |date=2017-02-01 |title=Same-sex relationships and minority stress |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X16300355 |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |series=Relationships and stress |volume=13 |pages=29–38 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.04.011 |pmid=28813290 |issn=2352-250X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Unsupportive policy environments such as [[Defense of Marriage Act|same-sex marriage bans]] have a negative impact on well-being,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tatum |first=Alexander K. |date=2017-04-16 |title=The Interaction of Same-Sex Marriage Access With Sexual Minority Identity on Mental Health and Subjective Wellbeing |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00918369.2016.1196991 |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |language=en |volume=64 |issue=5 |pages=638–653 |doi=10.1080/00918369.2016.1196991 |pmid=27269121 |s2cid=20843197 |issn=0091-8369|url-access=subscription }}</ref> while being [[Coming out|out]] as a couple and living in a place with legal same-sex relationship recognition have a positive impact on individual and couple well-being.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wight |first1=Richard G. |last2=LeBlanc |first2=Allen J. |last3=Lee Badgett |first3=M. V. |date=2013 |title=Same-Sex Legal Marriage and Psychological Well-Being: Findings From the California Health Interview Survey |journal=American Journal of Public Health |language=en |volume=103 |issue=2 |pages=339–346 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2012.301113 |issn= |pmc= 3558785|pmid=23237155}}</ref>

==== Asexuality ====
Some asexual people engage in intimate relationships that are solely emotionally intimate, but other asexual people's relationships involve sex as part of negotiations with non-asexual partners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Understanding the Asexual Community |url=https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-asexual-community |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=Human Rights Campaign |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Chasin-2015">{{Cite journal |last=Chasin |first=CJ DeLuzio |date=2015 |title=Making Sense in and of the Asexual Community: Navigating Relationships and Identities in a Context of Resistance |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/casp.2203 |journal=Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology |language=en |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=167–180 |doi=10.1002/casp.2203 |issn=1052-9284|url-access=subscription }}</ref> A 2019 study of sexual minority individuals in the United States found that while asexual individuals were less likely to have recently had sex, they did not differ from non-asexual participants in rates of being in an intimate relationship.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rothblum |first1=Esther D. |last2=Krueger |first2=Evan A. |last3=Kittle |first3=Krystal R. |last4=Meyer |first4=Ilan H. |date=2020-02-01 |title=Asexual and Non-Asexual Respondents from a U.S. Population-Based Study of Sexual Minorities |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01485-0 |journal=Archives of Sexual Behavior |language=en |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=757–767 |doi=10.1007/s10508-019-01485-0 |issn=1573-2800 |pmc=7059692 |pmid=31214906}}</ref> Asexual individuals face stigma and the pathologization of their sexual orientation,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hille |first=Jessica J. |date=2023-02-01 |title=Beyond sex: A review of recent literature on asexuality |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X22002378 |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |volume=49 |pages=101516 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101516 |pmid=36495711 |s2cid=253534170 |issn=2352-250X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and report difficulty navigating assumptions about sexuality in the dating scene.<ref name="Chasin-2015" /> Various terms including "[[queerplatonic relationship]]" and "squish" (a non-sexual crush) have been used by the asexual community to describe non-sexual intimate relationships and desires.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fine |first=Julia Coombs |date=2023 |title=From crushes to squishes: Affect and agency on r/ AskReddit and r/ Asexual |url=https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/jls.22004.fin |journal=Journal of Language and Sexuality |language=en |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=145–172 |doi=10.1075/jls.22004.fin |s2cid=259866691 |issn=2211-3770|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Non-monogamy ===
Non-monogamy, including [[polyamory]], [[open relationship]]s, and [[Swinging (sexual practice)|swinging]], is the practice of engaging in intimate relationships that are not strictly monogamous, or consensually engaging in multiple physically or emotionally intimate relationships. The degree of emotional and physical intimacy between different partners can vary. For example, swinging relationships are primarily sexual, whereas people in polyamorous relationships might engage in both emotional and physical intimacy with multiple partners.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Scoats |first1=Ryan |last2=Campbell |first2=Christine |date=2022-12-01 |title=What do we know about consensual non-monogamy? |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X22001890 |journal=Current Opinion in Psychology |volume=48 |pages=101468 |doi=10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101468 |pmid=36215906 |s2cid=252348893 |issn=2352-250X}}</ref> Individuals in consensually non-monogamous intimate relationships identify several benefits to their relationship configuration including having their needs met by multiple partners, engaging in a greater variety of shared activities with partners, and feelings of autonomy and personal growth.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Moors |first1=Amy C. |last2=Matsick |first2=Jes L. |last3=Schechinger |first3=Heath A. |date=2017 |title=Unique and Shared Relationship Benefits of Consensually Non-Monogamous and Monogamous Relationships |url=https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/abs/10.1027/1016-9040/a000278 |journal=European Psychologist |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=55–71 |doi=10.1027/1016-9040/a000278 |issn=|url-access=subscription }}</ref>