Romantic relationships, intimacy, and generativity

This chapter presents a scoping review of the evidence on how generativity is expressed within romantic relationships and how expressing generativity may enhance or transform romantic relationships. Both quantitative and qualitative research were reviewed. Of the twenty-three papers reviewed, four thematic groups emerged: (1) marital status and generativity; (2) romantic relationship quality and generativity; (3) generative partnerships, where generativity is conceptualized as a mutual, dyadic activity; and (4) queer generativity, where the emphasis is on how generativity is expressed in LGBTQ+ populations. Considerable research remains to be done on the topic of generativity and romantic relationships, and an increased focus on quantitative research using romantic dyads is a particularly fertile ground for future studies.