Dating and Relationship Experiences of Gay and Lesbian College Students

In response to an identified need in the psychological literature for current research on topics related to same-sex dating and relationships, this Professional Dissertation was developed to gain a better understanding of contemporary gay and lesbian dating and intimate relationships within the college/university student population. A total of 159 self-identified gayand lesbian college/university students in the United States and Canada completed an online survey about their dating and relationship experiences. The survey was developed by the researcher based on a review of the literature and was designed to collect broad-based quantitative and qualitative data on the topic of study. Findings were compared to the literature on dating and relationships in the larger gay and lesbian population to identify points of consistency and inconsistency. Areas of strength and resiliency as well as challenges faced by gay and lesbian college/university students in this area of their lives are highlighted. Implications of the results and recommendations for helping professionals working with gay and lesbian college/ university students are discussed. Additionally, limitations of the current study are addressed and proposed directions for future research are identified.