It’s a tumultuous time in life – the late teens, early 20s – especially when it comes to
relationships. That instability is the focus of a new study from the National Center for Family and Marriage
Research at Bowling Green State University."Relationship Churning in Emerging Adulthood: On/Off
Relationships and Sex with an Ex" will be published in the March edition of the Journal of Adolescent
Research. It was co-authored by former NCFMR postdoctoral fellow Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Dr. Wendy Manning,
co-director of the NCFMR; Dr. Peggy Giordano, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus, sociology; and Dr.
Monica Longmore, a professor of sociology.The study found approximately 44 percent of emerging adults who
have been in a romantic relationship in the past two years experienced at least one reconciliation, which is
a breakup followed by a reunion. And more than half (53 percent) of those who experienced reconciliations
also reported having had sex with this ex.Overall, more than one-quarter of the respondents had sex with an
ex. Those who had sex with an ex were more likely to be older and in a cohabiting relationship.Taken
together, 48 percent of the total sample experienced some form of relationship "churning," while
24 percent experienced both forms.Halpern-Meekin noted, "This study shows that there is a lot of
fluidity in emerging adults’ romantic relationships. They are fairly likely to go through periods of being
undefined or in flux. We are still learning what this may mean for young people’s well-being and future
romantic experiences."