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Moving in or Breaking Up? The Role of Distance in the Development of Romantic Relationships

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  • Sandra Krapf

    (University of Cologne)

Abstract

Most romantic relationships start with a living apart together (LAT) phase during which the partners live in two separate households. Over time, a couple might decide to move in together, to separate, or to remain together while maintaining their nonresidential status. This study investigates the competing risks that partners in a LAT relationship will experience the transition to coresidence or to separation. We consider the amount of time LAT partners have to travel to see each other to be a key determinant of relationship development. For our statistical analyses, we use seven waves of the German Family Panel Pairfam (2008/2009–2014/2015) and analyze couples in the age group 20–40 years. We distinguish between short-distance relationships (the partners have to travel less than one hour) and long-distance relationships (the partners have to travel one hour or more). Estimating a competing risks model, we find that couples in long-distance relationships are more likely to separate than those living in close proximity. By contrast, the probability of experiencing a transition to coresidence is lower for LAT couples in long-distance than for those in short-distance relationships. Interaction analyses reveal that distance seems to be irrelevant for the relationship development of couples with two nonemployed (unemployed, in education or other inactive) partners.

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  • Sandra Krapf, 2018. "Moving in or Breaking Up? The Role of Distance in the Development of Romantic Relationships," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 34(3), pages 313-336, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eurpop:v:34:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s10680-017-9428-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10680-017-9428-2
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    1. Sergi Vidal & Johannes Huinink, 2019. "Introduction to the special collection on spatial mobility, family dynamics, and gender relations," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 41(21), pages 593-616.
    2. Sandra Krapf & Clara H. Mulder & Michael Wagner, 2022. "The Transition to a Coresidential Partnership: Who Moves and Who Has the Partner Move In?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(2), pages 757-779, April.
    3. Julia Mikolai & Clara Mulder & Hill Kulu, 2020. "Family life transitions, residential relocations, and housing in the life course: Current research and opportunities for future work: Introduction to the Special Collection on “Separation, Divorce, an," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 43(2), pages 35-58.

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