The dating behaviors, attitudes, and relationship satisfaction of a nonclinical sample of single young adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) (n = 172) were compared to a sample of nonACOAs (n = 771). Subjects completed measures of dating behaviors, anxiety, intimacy, trust, commitment and relationship satisfaction. ACOAs began dating at a significantly younger age and dated significantly fewer individuals than nonACOAs. They also reported significantly more dating anxiety than nonACOAs. Male ACOAs reported less commitment, intellectual intimacy, trust and relationship satisfaction than male nonACOAs. Compared to nonACOAs, female ACOAs reported no differences on these variables. The results provide some support for research suggesting that ACOAs may experience difficulties in their opposite-sex intimate relationships.
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Larson et al. (2001) studied this question.
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