Contemporary romantic life increasingly includes ambiguous relationships beyond traditional committed partnerships. Terms such as "situationships," casual dating, and "almost relationships" highlight the emotional and social complexity of modern romance. These forms of connection often do not match all dimensions of Sternberg's triangular theory of love and are frequently overlooked or treated as failed attempts in relationship studies.
This paper explores how single adults interpret and narrate these "in-between" romantic experiences, examining their impact on personal identity, relational expectations, and emotional understanding.
Qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 single individuals aged 25-35 in Belgium. Participants reflected on emotionally significant yet unresolved romantic episodes, such as casual dating, unexpressed attraction, mismatched timing, and situationships. Additionally, each participant's closest friend provided complementary insights into these experiences, enriching the analysis with a multi-actor perspective.
Preliminary analysis indicates that "in-between" relationships significantly shape singles' self-narratives, influencing personal growth, relational uncertainty, lingering regret, and affirmation of singlehood. Participants described these episodes as emotionally impactful and often pivotal to their relational outlook. Friends often supported these interpretations but occasionally offered more pragmatic or critical views.Initial findings suggest that "in-between" relationships are meaningful identity-shaping experiences rather than relational failures. They function as mirrors for self-reflection and emotional milestones within singlehood. Recognizing these experiences challenges traditional binary frameworks and highlights the nuanced emotional realities of contemporary romantic life.