The results, though limited by a college-student-only population, reveal that different relationships serve different functions. The predominate function of long-term relationships was social support, followed by being a trial run or a placeholder, with sex bringing up the rear.

Booty calls were primarily for sex, with placeholder coming in as the second function and trial run coming in third. Social support came in dead last.

Sex and placeholder tied for first as the main function of friends-with-benefits relationships, with trial run coming in third and support, again, coming in last place. Finally, one-night stands were for sex, participants agreed, with placeholder second, trial run third and social support last.

In the forced-choice questionnaire, the answers were similar, although booty call and friends-with-benefits both matched the placeholder function best.