In a world where dating apps, social media, and “situationships” are shaping how young people fall in and out of love, Delhi University (DU) has launched a new course that couldn’t have come at a better time. Starting from the 2025-26 academic session, DU’s Department of Psychology is offering a new elective titled ‘Negotiating Intimate Relationships’, a four-credit elective course open to all undergraduate students. The course will cover everything from understanding love and friendships to spotting red flags and building healthier bonds.
It’s part of a larger initiative that includes other new courses, such as Media Psychology and the Psychology of Adjustment. It aims to help students understand the dynamics of friendships and romantic relationships in the era of dating apps and social media. The decision comes in the wake of rising concerns over emotional distress and incidents of violence linked to toxic relationships among youth. Through structured academic engagement, the university aims to cultivate greater emotional awareness and resilience among its students.
This comprehensive course is structured into four key units, beginning with the psychology of friendships and close bonds. It then explores various theories of love and sexuality, including Robert Sternberg’s triangular theory and the two-factor theory. The third unit critically examines warning signs in relationships, such as jealousy, emotional manipulation, and intimate partner violence, before concluding with strategies for nurturing fulfilling and long-lasting connections.
This course involves three weekly lectures and one tutorial. Though it lacks a practical component, tutorials are highly interactive, incorporating movie reviews, debates on dating culture, group discussions, and social media network analysis. The primary learning objectives are for students to grasp the foundations of intimate relationships, identify emotional triggers and conflicts, and cultivate the capacity for meaningful and respectful bonds. Ultimately, students should be able to analyse the psychological roots of love and distress and effectively apply these understandings to real-life scenarios.
