“The course of true love(S)… ”: Origins and pathways in the development of romantic relationships

Close relationships are significant to human well-being throughout life (Reis, Collins, & Berscheid, 2000). In the early part of the life span, involuntary relationships with family members are primary. Only in adolescence do voluntary close relationships attain the value and functional signficance previously attributed primarily to familial bonds. Although the escalating importance of friendships during adolescence is a staple of the empirical literature on close relationships (see reviews by Brown, 2004; Hartup, 1996) and in the theoretical canon (e.g., Sullivan, 1953; see Furman & Wehner, 1994, for an integrative formulation), studies of romantic relationships increasingly are recognized as potentially significant relational factors in adolescent development and well being.