Evaluating Emotional Labour in Romantic Relationships: An investigation into how romantic partners understand emotional regulation

Abstract

Emotional Labor is a fundamental characteristic of romantic relationships encompassing emotional support, conflict management and relational harmony. Although the term originated from research in organizational set up, current literature review has extended its application to romantic relationships focussing its role in emotional intimacy and psychological well being. The present study examines the role of young adults in assigning meaning to different facets of emotional labor specially in non traditional relationship patterns. Qualitative research design was used to collect data which was analysed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that emotional regulation extends beyond to include continuous emotional availability, ambiguous relationship expectations and efforts to sustain emotional connection within a digitally mediated world. By addressing the narratives of young adult’s dating patterns, this study significantly contributes to the existing gaps in research for emotional labor in the contemporary dating era.