Rooyesh-e- Ravanshenasi Journal(RRJ)

The present study aimed to investigate young attitudes towards stimulating factors in establishing multiple emotional relationships in Iranian culture. The type of research is applied, and the method is qualitative. The participants of this study included 24 people (13 girls and 11 boys) who were subjected to semi-structured interviews using purposive sampling until data saturation was reached. The Colaizzi method was used to analyze the information. From the total analysis of the participants' interviews, 4 main themes, 6 secondary themes, and 14 primary concepts were obtained. The factors motivating participants to establish multiple relationships with the opposite sex were experiential avoidance including escape (escape from emotional failure, escape from the damage of failed relationships, and escape from loneliness), the need for sensation seeking including the removal of emotional deprivation (experience pleasant emotions and increase affection), the need for survival including security (sexual need, financial need, and the need to talk to the opposite sex), and compensation (compensation for mistakes and compensation for deficiencies in past relationships), and observational learning including alignment with friends (receiving admiration and praise and seeking approval) and alignment with social media (removing feelings of stubbornness and resentment, entertainment, and recreation). Therefore, the deficiencies in people's lives and compensating for those, natural needs, and observing others play a role in the formation of the motivation for a tendency towards multiple relationships.