THE CHANGING IMPORTANCE OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP INVOLVEMENT TO COMPETENCE FROM LATE CHILDHOOD TO LATE ADOLESCENCE

Although developmental theorists such as Sullivan (1953) and Havighurs t (1972) have suggested that the formation of romantic relationships i n adolescence is an important developmental task, researchers of the a dolescent ''problem behavior syndrome'' have documented that early sex ual intercourse is related to problems with conduct, academics, and ch emical use. In this study multiple measures of competence and romantic relationship involvement were obtained from a normative community sam ple of children and adolescents. These were used in path analyses to d ocument the concurrent and longitudinal predictions of romantic involv ement and competence to examine the concurrent and longitudinal linkag es of romantic interest and involvement to four other domains of adapt ive behavior. Results suggest that although success in romantic relati onships has roots in general peer competence, there may be both devian t and prosocial pathways of initial romantic involvement. Early romant ic involvement in late childhood and early to middle adolescence may h ave negative consequences for academic, job, and conduct domains of co mpetence. Later in adolescence, romantic relationship involvement lose s its negative significance, perhaps as it becomes a normative develop mental task. Results highlight the need for developmental research on the origins and meaning of romantic relationships, one of the most neg lected aspects of peer relationships.