Relational Maintenance and Noncopresence Reconsidered: Conceptualizing Geographic Separation in Close Relationships

Extended geographic separation is increasingly common in people's personal relationships. This article proposes a model explaining how partners sustain their relationships as they cycle in and out of physical copresence. The article discusses several research applications of the model in various long-distance relationship types (dating, commuter, military, transnational). Also offered is a conceptualization of noncopresence experiences in relationships based on 5 linear and cyclical temporal concepts explicated by C. M. Werner and L. A. Baxter (1994): amplitude, scale, pace, sequence, and rhythm. This 5-pronged conceptualization highlights important differences within relationships regarding duration, frequency, emotional intensity, and routine-ness of separations. This framework can promote new approaches to relational research that move beyond the oversimplified binary classification of relationships as “long-distance” or “geographically close.”