Compreendendo as relações à distância: da comunicação à satisfação. Estudo qualitativo com casais de namorados.

Abstract

Romantic relationships in adulthood are crucial for individual well-being, allowing experiences of love, intimacy, satisfaction, and security. Typically, when we talk about relationships, we think of physical proximity and even cohabitation between partners. However, there are increasingly more couples who have long-distance relationships, particularly at the beginning of adulthood and in dating relationships. Given the scarcity of studies on this type of relationship, we chose to deepen our understanding of the experiences of these couples regarding communication, satisfaction, conflicts, and intimacy. Thus, we constructed a semi-structured interview, which we administered individually to eight dating couples, hence sixteen participants. Overall, the results show that the complexity of these relationships is marked by the same variables as other relationships, although communication is mediated by new technologies. Specifically, couples find ways to adapt by reinforcing maintenance behaviors, managing conflicts constructively, adjusting their intimacy (not just sexual), and overcoming the inherent difficulties of their situation by maintaining joint projects and envisioning a future together