HIGH POINT, N.C., Feb. 12, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Valentine's Day approaches, the HPU Poll finds that 66 percent of North Carolina residents are currently in a romantic relationship. Seventy-seven percent of these individuals are married and 8 percent are in long-distance relationships.
Of those who are romantically attached, an overwhelming majority report being satisfied with their relationship. Sixty-one percent say they are extremely satisfied.
Dr. Sadie Leder Elder, assistant professor of psychology at High Point University, says that this is a good thing, particularly this time of year.
"Satisfaction is a key ingredient in commitment and overall relationship stability," says Elder.
Research has shown that Valentine's Day can be a stressful time for relationships, and couples who are experiencing problems may be more likely to break up around the holiday. For dating couples, break-ups have been reported to be up to 2.5 times more likely in the two weeks prior to Valentine's Day.
"Seeing so many satisfied couples this close to Valentine's Day makes me optimistic that North Carolina residents will experience this time of year with positivity and relationship success," says Elder.
Respondents were also asked how they anticipated expressing their affection for loved ones this Valentine's Day. The most popular responses included cards/letters (48 percent), followed by text messages (30 percent), and phone calls (29 percent). Less popular forms of communication included Facebook (15 percent), email (14 percent), Skype/Facetime (8 percent), Instagram (3 percent), Twitter (1 percent), and YouTube (1 percent).
| All adults – Valentine's Day Questions February 2015 |
| Are you in a romantic relationship? |
| Yes – 66 percent |
| No – 32 percent |
| Don't know/refuse – 2 percent |
| (All adult (North Carolina resident) sample surveyed Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2015, n = 416 and margin of sampling error approximately = +/- 4.8 percent) |
| Do you anticipate sending Valentine's Day messages to a loved one using any of the following forms of technology? (please select all that apply) |
| Written card/letter – 48 percent |
| Phone call – 29 percent |
| Skype/Facetime – 8 percent |
| Email – 14 percent |
| Text message – 30 percent |
| Facebook – 15 percent |
| Twitter – 1 percent |
| Instagram/Snapchat – 3 percent |
| YouTube/Vine – 1 percent |
| Other – 6 percent |
| Don't know/refused – 22 percent |
| *Totals do not add to 100 percent, as respondents were asked to select all that apply |
| (All adult (North Carolina resident) sample surveyed Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2015, n = 413 and margin of sampling error approximately = +/- 4.8 percent) |
| Adults in romantic relationships – Valentine's Day Questions February 2015 |
| Would you characterize your romantic relationship as a long-distance relationship (that is separated by geographic distance or unable to meet face-to-face on a frequent basis)? |
| Yes – 8 percent |
| No – 92 percent |
| (Adults in romantic relationships (North Carolina resident) sample surveyed Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2015, n = 272 and margin of sampling error approximately = +/- 5.9 percent) |
| On a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 = not at all and 5 = extremely, how satisfied would you say that you are with your romantic relationship? |
| 1 – 2 percent |
| 2 – 1 percent |
| 3 – 7 percent |
| 4 – 26 percent |
| 5 – 61 percent |
| Don't know/refuse – 4 percent |
| (Adults in romantic relationships (North Carolina resident) sample surveyed Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2015, n = 272 and margin of sampling error approximately = +/- 5.9 percent) |
| How would you best describe your current relationship status? |
| Single – 11 percent |
| Engaged – 6 percent |
| Living with your significant other – 4 percent |
| Married – 77 percent |
| Widowed – 0 percent |
| Don't know/refuse – 2 percent |
| (Adults in romantic relationships (North Carolina resident) sample surveyed Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2015, n = 272 and margin of sampling error approximately = +/- 5.9 percent) |
The most recent HPU Poll was fielded by live interviewers at the High Point University Survey Research Center calling on Jan. 31 – Feb. 5, 2015. The responses from a sample of all North Carolina counties came from 417 adults with landline or cellular telephones. The Survey Research Center contracted with Survey Sampling International to acquire this sample. The survey has an estimated margin of sampling error of approximately 4.8 percentage points for all adult respondents. The margin of sampling error for the subsample of adults in romantic relationships (n = 272) is approximately 5.9 percentage points. The data are weighted toward population estimates for cellular and landline telephone use, age, gender and race. In addition to sampling error, factors such as question wording and other methodological choices in conducting survey research can introduce additional error into the findings of opinion polls. Details from this survey are available at http://www.highpoint.edu/src/files/2015/02/35memoB.pdf.
Further results and methodological details from the most recent survey and past studies can be found at the Survey Research Center website at http://www.highpoint.edu/src/. The materials online include past press releases as well as memos summarizing the findings (including approval ratings) for each poll since 2010.
The HPU Poll reports methodological details in accordance with the standards set out by AAPOR's Transparency Initiative, and the HPU Survey Research Center is a Charter Member of the Initiative. For more information, see http://transparency.aapor.org/index.php/transparency.
Dr. Martin Kifer, assistant professor of political science, serves as the director of the HPU Poll, and Brian McDonald serves as the assistant director of the HPU Poll.