In the 21st century, long-distance relationships (where partners are geographically at a distance in which daily in-person contact is not possible) are extremely common. This contrasts with regular relationships, which we define here as proximate relationships. As anyone in a distance relationship would say, these relationships have a much different dynamic than proximate relationships.

Previous research has heavily researched the effects of distance relationships. However, differences between proximate and distance relationships have not been so heavily explored. The goal of this study is to determine these differences, especially measures like relationship success and satisfaction. 

Procedure

This study used psychology students from the University of Alabama to collect participants. These students were tasked (as part of their grade) to find individuals they knew to participate in this study. This allowed us to acquire a sample size of 1286 heterosexual dating individuals, grouped into 643 couples.

The format of the study was an anonymized questionnaire that was completed online by participants. Some of the measures tested included emotional engagement, emotional regulation, personality traits, and relationship success. Because the study utilized couples, some questions would be asked to the partner as well as the main participant. This allowed us to remove any potential biases that the main participant or partner might have.

Results

This study revealed the following:

1. Distance couples boast a healthier overall personal and couple profile.

2. Accuracy of relationship perception plays a much larger role for distance couples than for proximate couples.

3. Nurturance follows a similar pattern with a greater impact for distance couples.

4. Family and friend support plays a larger role in proximate relationships.

5. Emotional regulation plays a larger role for proximate couples.

6. Enjoyment of sex is a significant predictor of success for proximate couples but not for distance couples.

7. Loneliness, which is common in distance relationships, does not have a negative impact on relational satisfaction for distance couples. However, loneliness significantly diminishes relational satisfaction for proximate couples.