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New research led by Queen’s University psychology expert Dr. Sari van Anders and PhD candidate Ana Carolina de Barros upends the common assumption that sexual attraction or behavior is the defining feature of romantic relationships, revealing that emotional closeness, affection, and commitment frequently blur the line between romance and friendship.

Published in the and based on in-depth interviews with 30 people in Canada and the United States who identified as being in close non-sexual relationships – some romantic, others deeply platonic – the study finds that friendships can be as intimate or more intimate than partnerships traditionally labeled “romantic.” 

Participants often described bonds that combined elements of romantic and platonic connection, yet their general definitions of romantic and platonic relationships mirrored familiar cultural categories. That tension is the study’s novel contribution: rather than simply documenting diverse relationship configurations, the research shows how cultural scripts about sex and romance shape how people understand and explain their own attachments. 

The findings open up important conversations about how society recognizes diverse relationships, including non-sexual, queerplatonic, and long-term non-romantic partnerships.

To interview Sari van Anders and/or Ana Carolina de Barros, contact:

Julie Brown, Media Relations Manager: brown.julie@queensu.ca | 343-363-2763

Andrew Carroll, Media Relations Officer: andrew.carroll@queensu.ca | 613-876-8059

Media Relations: mediarelations@queensu.ca