Abstract

PEREIRA, Carolina da Silva; WAGNER, Adriana; SILVEIRA, Luiza Maria de Oliveira Braga  and  LEVANDOWSKI, Daniela Centenaro. Investigating adolescent perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of romantic relationships. Bol. - Acad. Paul. Psicol. [online]. 2022, vol.42, n.102, pp.39-48. ISSN 1415-711X.

Although romantic relationships usually start in adolescence and have important implications for development, little is known about this topic in Brazil. This study aimed to analyze the perceptions of adolescents of Porto Alegre/RS about romantic relationships. The data analyzed derived from two focus groups, in which 14 adolescents from public schools took part. The focus groups started with the triggering question: "What do you think about adolescent romantic relationships nowadays?", as well as stimulus images about the topic. Starting from qualitative content analysis of the focus groups reports, two thematic categories emerged: advantages of a romantic relationship and disadvantages of a romantic relationship. The results indicated that adolescents seek affection and value the companionship of their romantic relationships. However, they pointed more disadvantages than advantages of these relationships, highlighting the restriction of freedom. These findings demonstrate the fluidity that encompasses the current relationships, mentioned by the literature, as well as the teenagers characteristics, such as impulsivity, low frustration tolerance and the search for experimentation.

Keywords : adolescence; romantic relationships; advantages; disadvantages.

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