The effects of having a relationship to the academic

performance of CFAD students

By:
3IND2
Ronco, Dianne
Sinocruz, Edzel
Tayag, Marivin
Tirado, Steven
Tomagan, Marianne
Uy, Stephen

CHAPTER 1

Introduction:

We chose this as our topic because we would like to see the difference or the effects of having a
relationship while studying. We notice that now a day’s having a relationship is increasing, we would like
to study if being in a relationship helps or not.

Objective:

Our objective for this study is that what would students prefer or would like while studying. What happens
to student in a relationship and who are not? What would must be our guidance to students who is having
a hard time coping in studies while having a relationship and to those who are doing fine?

Problem of the study:

When it comes to college having relationship is part of it, and as a person being attracted to opposite
sex is normal. Having a burden or relationship not only in your life but also in your time may affect
someone’s studies. In now a day’s many student are having relationship while studying, what we want to
know how this student be able to maintain their relationship to opposite sex and their performance in
their studies.

Background of the study:

Education is one of the highest achievement and the trademark on how you are being recognized not
only at work but also the people whom you met in your everyday life and the key in attaining our goal.
Its importance in life is what make us who we really and what are we capable of that lead us to progress
and develop further more. It isn’t a tangible product rather it’s an intellectual property that each of us
uniquely have, but before we have this information we take it as a step by step process. And college is
one of the basic needs in education attainment in order for us to have a formal job.
When talking about college student life, we experience plenty of things socializing and having friends is
one of it, but what the relationship of being friends went up to the next level where in the both opposite
sex developed to each that development resulted to what we psychologically called love in which both
person has the emotion of affection and personal attachment. Having relationship is part of the
environment in life and many says it serves as a inspiration and feeling that someone is there for there
to accompanied him, but as a student the question is how it does affect the performance and emotion
of each in their studies? What’s the difference of with and without relationship? How would students
budget their time in order for them, as a partner, maintain that relationship they have?
Scope and Limitation:

Our focus is the students here in College of Fine Arts and Designs. We will survey to those students who
are in a relationship. What are the effects either good or bad? What are more good in influencing their
partners the guys or the girls?

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE:

According to the article

EFFECTS OF ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
MATTHEW E. KOPFLER DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY LOYOLA UNIVERSITY Sponsored by: MUKUL BHALLA

---

ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to discover whether or not there is an association between academic
performance and involvement in a romantic relationship amongst undergraduate college students. The
variables looked at were dating status (single or involved), level of involvement in the relationship, and
grade point average. Variables were calculated on a survey measuring relationship and school
satisfaction. Seventy-five undergraduate students attending Loyola University New Orleans were
surveyed. Approximately fifty-one percent of those surveyed were involved in a relationship. The
relationship assumed between grade point average and dating status was not supported by the data.
However, students involved in a relationship experienced more stress when facing deadlines for school.
The data has not revealed any clear correlation in the study between dating status and academic
performance, though hopefully further research in this idea will prove beneficial.

INTRODUCTION

On a daily basis, college students are faced with a conflict of interest: to study or not to study. Often
times these decisions are affected by outside factors that are beyond the control of the student (i.e.
work, athletics, involvement in organizations). One other factor that is believed to be a major influence
is the existence of a significant other. While involved in a relationship during college, one might be
forced to choose either studying for school or spending time with the significant other, leaving the
student with increased amounts of stress. Level of commitment to the relationship must also be taken
into consideration. A student who is involved in an exclusive relationship differs from the student
involved in a casual dating relationship. Many factors contribute to a student’s struggling grades; the aim
of this research was to isolate the effects of dating on a student’s academic performance.
An article found on the Internet, which related to the topic of interest, showed research where
Sgobbo(2000) studied the disadvantages and advantages of dating in college. It was found that one
hundred percent of the fifty male participants surveyed agreed that dating in college provides benefits.
It was also shown that males who dated while in college felt a higher level of self-esteem through social
interaction. Dating provided them constant interaction with students
of the opposite sex. The research mainly focused on the benefits of these relationships in college as it
related to the individuals self esteem and interaction while in social settings. An individual’s social skills
are being developed throughout life. One of the most crucial times in this development is high school.
A study conducted by Quatman, Sampson, Robinson and Watson (2001) among high school students in
California. Researchers examined the relationship between dating status and academic achievement,
academic motivation, depression, and self-esteem. Although high school students do not face as many
distractions, the affiliation can still be made between the two. The research focused on the frequency
of dating and not so much the level of commitment. Results showed a relationship between dating more
frequently and lower academic performance.
Dating frequency and level of commitment are two of the underlying factors that define a relationship;
marriage being the highest level of commitment and frequent dating of more than one person being
towards the bottom of the scale. Research conducted by Chilman and Meyer (1963) in the early sixties
surveyed academic performance of undergraduate married students as compared to the single
undergraduates. Researchers followed a sample through one semester of school. One of the objectives
of the study was to find if married undergraduates achieved higher success in college through future
vocational plans. Researchers used a stratified random sampling of one hundred nine married men and
women, forty-seven single men and fifty-five single women. Grades from the previous semester were
obtained and compared to the grades from the current semester, measuring academic performance.
Results indicated differences based on (1) educational values, goals, and attitudes (2) family background,
current life situation (3) dating and courtship (4) perceived satisfaction. Of the participants followed
that semester, the married couples received higher G.P.A.’s. Married couples were shown to have a goal
minded approach to academics. Dating is shown to affect students both favorably and adversely, but the
present seems to be affected by a person’s future plans.
Archival data was studied by Vockell and Asher (1972) in the early seventies that related to high school
seniors dating frequency and their scholastic aptitude, achievement, and school related activities. Future
plans of the individuals positively affected their frequency of dating, with respect to certain occupational
goals.
The main theme involved in most of the literature from the past was frequency of dating. All of the
studies were conducted in a manner as to relate the prevalence of a significant other to the student’s
academic achievement. Researchers were able to find a positive correlation to the role of dating on
academic achievement.
Researchers studied the main hypothesis that the prevalence of a significant other negatively affects the
academic performance of an undergraduate student. Our study intended to positively link these two
factors. Students answered questions regarding personal life and habits that might affect their academic
performance in a self-reporting survey. Data was synthesized in hopes of finding the existence of a
relationship between social dating and academic performance. Acknowledging that attaining an
undergraduate degree requires a lot of time and involves many increased stressors associated with that
time adding one more person’s beliefs and wants to the
equation leads to strain in the classroom. If students are involved in a social dating parameter, then
school will in turn suffer.

METHOD

Seventy-five participants took part in the study ranging in age from eighteen to twenty four. The
population consisted of undergraduate students from Loyola University who participated on a strictly
voluntary basis. The participants selected, to the best of the investigator’s knowledge represented all
racial/ethnic groups. Participants were encountered both in the classrooms at Loyola and in random
social interaction. Convenience sampling was used in the selection of the participants. The most easily
accessible students were those attending undergraduate studies at Loyola University New Orleans.
Packets for the research contained the thirty three-question survey and two informed consent sheets,
one for the researcher and one for the participant. The informed consent sheet disclosed information
about the research and provided the participants with information regarding any counseling that might
be needed because of the study. The survey consisted` of a broad range of questions aimed at gauging
the student’s level of involvement in a relationship and its adverse affects on their schoolwork. The first
thirteen questions regarded biographical information of the participant, i.e. “working status, relationship
involvement, age and approximate GPA.” The remaining twenty questions were rated on a scale of one
through five and were intended to gauge the participants social involvement, i.e. “Spending time with
your significant other takes time away from school?” Questions pertaining to the student’s academic
performance were asked to coincide with the participant’s relationship status. Number seventeen of the
survey was put in place to eliminate participants not fully cooperating. It requested the participant to
simply answer the question “1” on a scale of one to five.
The design was non-experimental correlational research. The two variables evaluated were grade point
average and dating status. Procedure asked the participants to fill out a survey prepared for the research.
For the purposes of remaining anonymous, participants were also asked not to put their names any where
on the survey. Participants were given up to 15 minutes to perform this task, although extra time was
allotted if needed. Once the task was completed, participants were debriefed and the experimenters
answered any questions they may have. No potential risks were expected. Students were instructed that
all information surveyed is both voluntary and anonymous. Information regarding counseling services on
campus was provided to all participants.

REULTS

An independent samples T-test was performed to find any relationship between grade point average and
involvement in a romantic relationship. It was hypothesized that students who were involved in romantic
relationships would not perform as well academically in undergraduate course work. However, statistical
data was not obtained to support the theory (t < .01, N.S.). A relationship was observed between
participants involved in relationships and higher levels of stress. Deadlines coupled with academic
motivation illustrated higher levels of stress amongst participants involved in relationships as measured
by a Pearson Correlation (p = .486).
In a sample of seventy-five undergraduate students attending Loyola University New Orleans, the mean
age was 20.7(SD = 1.67) and the mean grade point average was 3.09(S.D. = .57).

DISCUSSION

The main hypothesis of the study was that students involved in romantic relationships would not perform
academically as well as their counterparts who do not date in college. No significant relationships were
found between the two variables of grade point average and involvement in a romantic relationship. In
fact, the t value was so insignificant the number must be taken out four decimal places. Although the
original hypothesis was not statistically proven, a correlation was found between motivation and higher
stress levels amongst the participants involved in romantic relationships. Students involved in
relationships were motivated more to perform academically (p = .322) and faced higher stress level in
facing deadlines (p = .28).
Individuals involved in relationships are forced to manage their time and experience more stressors
because of the relationship. Time management was believed to be a deciding factor in an individual’s
performance in school, therefore participants were asked to provide an approximation of time spent
during the week. Time was broken down into three activities: studying, working, and time spent with
the significant other. Amount of time studying on an average week was analyzed with a mean score of
14.8 (SD = 9.9). Approximately 63% of the students surveyed worked either part time or full time
occupying a mean of 11.22(SD = 9.96) hours per week. An individual’s significant other occupied
approximately a mean of 13.16(SD = 19.83) hours per week.
A higher number of participants would have been beneficial to the research. Seventy-five students did
not prove to be a big enough sample. Researchers used a convenient sample, but in the future would
recommend a larger sample size from differing sources. Another factor influencing data was the
composition of the survey. The scale, rating zero through five, should have been presented at the top of
each page limiting the amount of confusion from flipping back to the original scale. Numbering might
also been improved. The scale used rated strongly disagree as a numerical value of five and strongly
agree rated as a one. Data might have been compromised by the confusion of the participants.
Romantic relationships, or the lack there of, play a role in the majority of people in society. Individuals
involved in relationships face shoulder more responsibility than their counter part. Factoring in the
beliefs and ideas of another person into daily decision-making, posses’ unique challenges to the
individuals involved; challenges that are widely accepted and enjoyed throughout the world on a regular
basis. It is partaking in these relationships which shape and mold people into the individuals that they
are.