An empirical comparison of back burners, hookups, and friends with benefits relationships in young adults

The current research locates back burners on the spectrum of human sexual and relational behavior by examining an array of dimensions that might highlight both similarities and differences between back burners and two other casual sexual relational experiences (CSREs), friends with benefits relationships and hookups. An experiment (N= 327) revealed that participants reported more sex with friends with benefits and hookups than with back burners. No differences emerged for friendship strength, relationship closeness, passion, commitment, frequency of communication, or willingness to self-disclose. Conceptual distinctions between these relationship types may be experimenter-created and not reflective of the fluidity of these definitions in young adults.