{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,13]],"date-time":"2026-05-13T09:22:44Z","timestamp":1778664164409,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,11]],"date-time":"2025-02-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739232000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study investigates the fears of romantic relationships. Based on Schwartz\u2019s theory of values, we built a comprehensive inventory of the fears that young people seeking romantic relationships may experience. We tested the fears\u2019 structure and the connections with personal values and socio-demographic variables. The study was conducted in Israel using a community sample of young Jews and Palestinians without romantic partners (n = 1083, 57% female, age 18\u201330). We discovered ten basic fears clustered into three groups (concerns). The ineptitude concern combines two fears: failing one\u2019s partner\u2019s expectations and failing expectations of one\u2019s relatives and friends. The subjugation concern combines four fears: loss of independence, boredom, sexual frustration, and thwarting one\u2019s achievements. Finally, the abuse concern combines four fears: losing control over one\u2019s resources, being hurt physically or sexually, harming relationships with one\u2019s relatives and friends, and being accused of inappropriate behavior. The ranking of concerns was identical among men and women, with ineptitude being the strongest concern, followed by subjugation and abuse. The ineptitude concern was associated with a higher preference for self-transcendence vs. self-enhancement values. The subjugation concern was associated with higher preferences for openness to change vs. conservation and self-enhancement vs. self-transcendence values. The abuse concern was associated with a higher preference for conservation vs. openness to change values. The ineptitude concern was stronger among younger ages, females, and Jews. The subjugation concern was stronger among older ages, males, and less religious people. Finally, the abuse concern was stronger among younger ages, males, religious people, and Palestinian Israelis. Socio-demographic variables affected relationship concerns directly and indirectly through their connection with personal values. The present study advances the theory of values connecting context-specific and general motivations. The results obtained will be helpful in youth counseling to promote satisfactory decisions regarding romantic relationships.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs15020191","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,11]],"date-time":"2025-02-11T09:36:05Z","timestamp":1739266565000},"page":"191","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Who Is Afraid of Romantic Relationships? Relationship Fears and Their Connection with Personal Values and Socio-Demographic Variables"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Eugene","family":"Tartakovsky","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo 69978, Israel"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1869","DOI":"10.1177\/10731911211017659","article-title":"Psychometric analysis of the Dating Anxiety Scale for Adolescents in samples of Polish and US young Adults: Examining the factor structure, measurement invariance, item functioning, and convergent validity","volume":"29","author":"Adamczyk","year":"2022","journal-title":"Assessment"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"403","DOI":"10.1007\/s40806-022-00340-1","article-title":"What makes single life attractive: An explorative examination of the advantages of singlehood","volume":"8","author":"Apostolou","year":"2022","journal-title":"Evolutionary Psychological Science"},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"359","article-title":"Marriage, romantic relationships, and health","volume":"Vol. 2","author":"Friedman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Encyclopedia of mental health"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"322","DOI":"10.1177\/1524838015613774","article-title":"Psychological aspects of the Israeli\u2013Palestinian conflict: A systematic review","volume":"18","author":"Ayer","year":"2017","journal-title":"Trauma, Violence, & Abuse"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"677","DOI":"10.1037\/dev0000015","article-title":"The interplay between values and aggression in adolescence: A longitudinal study","volume":"51","year":"2015","journal-title":"Developmental Psychology"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5390","DOI":"10.1177\/0886260517719905","article-title":"\u201cHow many silences are there?\u201d Men\u2019s experience of victimization in intimate partner relationships","volume":"35","author":"Brooks","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Interpersonal Violence"},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"Brown, A. 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