FORMING AND DEVELOPING ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS. THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL PERCEPTIONS AND SOCIAL NETWORKS SUPPORT

Couples, like individuals, are experiencing social acceptance or rejection during different stages of their relational life. In addition, intimate couples can benefit of the tangible and emotional support that they are likely to need, especially when confronted by stress. Social networks create both opportunities and constraints for people in terms of accessing and using resources in the process of forming and developing a romantic relationship. The study examines the role of personal first impressions and feedbacks given by social networks� members during the development of couple relationships, from the perspectives of partners. In this study, the social networks paradigm was used to explore the role of social network in forming and developing a romantic relationship. A qualitative study was conducted in Romania, using semi-structured interviews. The analysis indicates the following themes: the context of the first meeting; subjective perceptions resulting from the first and subsequent meetings; social actors involved in the courtship period, qualities noted in the potential partner (perceived offer); favorable elements to the marriage decision. Findings extend our understanding of the ways that couples form and manage their intimate relationships in a social context. Interventions targeting couples may benefit from addressing their social contexts as well.