Introduction: Sternberg's (1986) theory of love identifies passion, intimacy, and commitment as central components of romantic relationship quality. However, contemporary research highlights additional psychological factors influencing relationship satisfaction, such as empathy, openness, sexual satisfaction, communication, financial stability, health, career development, and overall quality of life. Sternberg's model also emphasizes the dynamic nature of romantic relationships, encouraging exploration of how they evolve over time and across generations.
Purpose: The present study aimed to examine generational differences in psychological determinants of romantic relationship quality among individuals from Generations X, Y, and Z.
Method: A total of 174 participants (88 women and 86 men), aged 18 to 63 years, took part in the study. A quantitative, longitudinal, self-report design was employed. Four standardized instruments with strong psychometric properties were used: the Affective Communication Index (Floyd & Morman, 1998), the Forgiveness Scale (Toussaint et al., 2001), the Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire (Nomejko & Dolińska-Zygmunt, 2011), and the Interpersonal Commitment Questionnaire (Stanley & Markman, 1992), along with a demographic survey.
Results: Results indicated that Generation X participants reported higher levels of affective communication, forgiveness, and interpersonal commitment. In contrast, Generation Z participants demonstrated significantly greater sexual satisfaction compared to Generations X and Y. Additionally, longer relationship duration was associated with increased affective communication and forgiveness, but decreased sexual satisfaction. Greater interpersonal commitment was also observed among individuals in longer relationships.
Conclusions: These findings offer practical implications for couple therapy, particularly in tailoring interventions to the emotional and communicative needs of different age groups. The observed intergenerational differences underscore the importance of flexible, age-sensitive therapeutic approaches aimed at enhancing relationship quality.