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The negative aspects of friends with benefits relationships

Ewa Włodarczyk1, Jolanta Chanduszko-Salska2

Affiliacja i adres do korespondencji
PSYCHIATR. PSYCHOL. KLIN. 2013, 13 (2), p. 116–120
Streszczenie

Friends with benefits relationships (FWBR) mean cross-sex friends who engage in sexual activities on repeated occasions without romantic commitment. In Poland information about this phenomenon can be found predominantly in popular press or on the Internet. In the United States the studies on FWBR have lasted only for about a decade, but they are conducted in multiple directions. One of the analysed areas are negative and problematic aspects of this kind of relationships. The aim of this article is an attempt to summarize this particular direction of research. The authors analysed the disadvantages of FWBRs, such as: the lack of direct and open communication between partners, the lack of explicit rules or rules which are difficult to accept and fulfil, a possibility of experiencing negative emotions, gender differences in attitudes toward the relationship, a high risk of social disapproval and dangerous health consequences. The authors proved that through increasing ambiguity, provoking conflicts and generating negative emotions they have negative impact on the relationship itself – by weakening it, as well as on its participants – by exposing them to the risk of negative psychological consequences. Furthermore, they create a negative image of such relationships in society – by causing their negative evaluation and discouraging people to engage in them. However, we have also emphasized the necessity to draw attention to the advantages of FWBRs, which are the subject of another very important direction of research on this phenomenon.

Słowa kluczowe
friends with benefits, friendship, interpersonal relations, emotional reactions, negative emotions, psychological consequences, psychosocial consequences