Just Talking or Just Stalling?: How College Students Conceptualize Motivations For “Just Talking” Relationships

Authors: Isabella Ring, Sarah Kramer, Natalie Girard, Madeline Murnin, Marit Epstein, Ashley Kiefer

Field of Study: Integrative Neuroscience

Program Affiliation: Binghamton Human Sexualities Lab

Faculty Mentors: Ann Merriwether, Sean Massey, Melissa Hardesty

Easel: 104

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: “Just Talking” is a novel strategy commonly used by young adults to describe and maintain their sexual and romantic relationships, of which there is little definitional consensus (Hardesty et al., 2024). Due to its ambiguous nature, this study sought to determine if conceptualizations of “Just Talking” motivations fall into distinct types. To better understand these types, researchers surveyed college students, asking them to rate the extent to which they believe different behaviors apply to “Just Talking” relationships on a likert scale. These responses were used to identify clusters representing the degree to which sexual and emotional intimacy, as well as a desire to formalize the relationship, were prevalent in “Just Talking” relationships. By moderating the results with participant information including gender, sexuality, and relationship status, researchers were able to construct a cluster framework analysis examining how social demographics influence “Just Talking” motivations.