Newswise — Dating may be an activity that helps an adolescent or young adult learn about relating to a potential mate. Or it may be a training ground for relationships based on mutual support for risky behavior. Little research has examined couple-level substance abuse within young adult romantic relationships.
“Mate selection is based on a few variables, such as the influence of peers and religion, but in young adults, drinking is also prominent and shouldn’t be ignored,” according to Jacquelyn Wiersma of the University of Arkansas.
Wiersma, an assistant professor of human development and family sciences, is available to discuss her research into mate selection and risky behaviors by adolescents and young adults.
Wiersma’s research was featured in the spring 2012 issue of Research Frontiers in “Dating or Dangerous Liaisons: How Do We Choose?” She discusses her research in an interview aired on KUAF public radio in May 2012.
Her research uses data in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally representative, longitudinal study of health-related behaviors of adolescents and their outcomes in young adulthood. That study involved tens of thousands of young people, their parents and their schools. Portions of Wiersma’s research were supported by a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Research Frontiers: http://researchfrontiers.uark.eduWiersma's article: http://researchfrontiers.uark.edu/17034.phpWiersma's radio interview: http://kuaf.com/content/audio-extra-alcohol-consumption-and-relationships
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