The Vitality Study: Intimacy and Well-being in Romantic Relationships, 2009

443 adult participants (161 males, 282 females) were recruited for a longitudinal study on intimacy and changes in well-being in romantic relationships. Participants were recruited through word of mouth; online posts to various Psychology-related websites, classified advertisements pages, and listservs; social media (i.e., Facebook); and posters placed around the McGill University campus and broader Montreal area. To be eligible, participants had to be in an exclusive, sexual, heterosexual relationship that was not long-distance. Participants were aged 18-66 (Mdn = 26) and in a romantic relationship (56% dating, 10% engaged, 34% married) ranging in length from 1 month to 43.8 years (Mdn = 3.25 years). Participants reported a median lifetime total of 6 sexual partners (SD = 7.82) and 7 relationship partners (SD = 8.56), 2 of which they considered serious (SD = 1.45).
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Interested individuals were directed to the study website, which contained a short description of the study, contact information for the researchers, and a link to one of three versions of the survey. After providing consent, all participants completed a battery of core questionnaires, consisting of demographics (e.g., age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, relationship and sexual history, current relationship status), measures of intimacy, basic well-being measures, and an attachment scale (Wei et al., 2007). Supplementary well-being questions on one of three topics (personal, relational, or sexual) were randomly assigned to participants. At the end of the survey, participants indicated whether they were interested in completing the follow-up survey 6 months later. All participants were debriefed, and if their responses were deemed valid (e.g., a survey completion time of at least 15 minutes), they were emailed their compensation of a $7 Amazon gift certificate.
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Of the 443 participants who completed the initial survey, 212 participants (60 males, 152 females) who were still in a relationship (49% dating, 12% engaged, 40% married; ranging in length from 10 months to 36.75 years; Mdn = 4.96 years), as well as 43 participants whose relationships had ended, completed the follow-up survey 8 months later. Participants were first asked to indicate if they were in the same relationship as they were when they completed the initial survey, if they were in a new relationship, or if they were now single. Then, they completed same intimacy and well-being measures that were included in the initial survey but were instructed to focus on the past 6 months of their relationship instead of “in general”. Participants also provided updated information on their relationship (e.g., status, living arrangements) and any major life events that had occurred since completing the initial survey (e.g., birth of a child, serious illness, relocation). Upon completion, participants were debriefed and emailed their compensation of an $8 Amazon gift certificate.
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The study was approved by the ethics board at McGill University. REB File #: 189-1207