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Friends with Benefits Relationships

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Friends with benefits relationships consist of friends who are physically involved and participate in the occasional engagement of sexual activity, but otherwise have a basic friendship in which they are not romantically involved (Mongeau, Ramirez, & Vorell, 2003). This separation differentiates friends with benefits relationships (FWBRs) from other relationship types by creating a relational hybrid due to no future expectations of transitioning into a romantic relationship. Even though these relationships carry defining features of a romantic relationship, such as intimacy and sexual passion, FWB partners do not consider their involvements to be romantic relationships, but rather best regarded to as friends involved in casual sex. With many potential implications for understanding FWBRs dynamics more broadly, our understandings of these involvements are in an early stage due to a recent attraction to friends with benefits relationships. The United States has experienced constant heterosexual change in acceptable social behaviors that evoke sexual relations. These changes expanding from the past half-century, which includes drastic shifts in premarital attitudes and behaviors. Shift changes in heterosexual courtship are seen from 1950’s and early 1960’s, where the standard for sexual interactions was abstinence, and intercourse was only acceptable in marriage (Perlman & Sprecher, in press), to the 1970’s. Whereas, in the 1970’s there’s a witnessed shift to a more lenient social standard, ”permissiveness with affection,” where engaging in sexual behavior was acceptable as long as the partners were fully committed to each other (Perlman & Sprecher, in press; Sprecher 1989). Sexual standards within the 21st century first decade are p... ... middle of paper ... ...sophy for everyone: Philosophers with benefits (pp. 91-102). Oxford, England: Wiley/Blackwell. Mongeau, P. A., Ramirez, A., & Vorell, M. (2003, February). Friends with benefits: An initial investigation of a sexual but not romantic relationship. Arizona State University at Tempe. Oliver, M. B., & Hyde, J. S. (1993). Gender difference in sexuality: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 29-51. Paul, E. L., & Hayes, K. A. (2002). The casualties of “casual” sex: A qualitative exploration of the phenomenology of college students’ hookups. Journal of personal and Social Relationships, 19, 639-661. Perlman, D., & Sprecher, S. (in press). Sex, Initimacy, and dating in college. In R. D. McAnulty (Ed.), Sex in college. New York, NY: Praeger. Sprecher, S. (1989). Premarital sexual standards for different categories of individuals. Journal of Sex Research, 26, 232-248.
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