#situationships

#situationships

They text daily, sleep together, cook on Sundays, and know each other's friends. When she asks what they are building, he says he dislikes labels and is not ready for anything more. She stays anyway. She feels anxious, loyal, confused, and quietly ashamed for wanting a relationship. When it ends, there is no breakup, only silence where daily connection used to be. Grief and self-doubt consume her, but she feels ashamed because they were never "official."

For many casual partners, flexibility means freedom, and when it comes to commitment, less is more. But in many cases, one of the dating partners begins to develop deeper feelings and a desire to take the relationship to the next level. Not wanting to scare off a noncommitted partner, how does one explore the possibility of permanence? Fortunately, studies have explored the factors that determine whether and when a couple decides to move a relationship to the next level.