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Though the study of romantic and sexual involvement during adolescence and young adulthood has experienced a boom, little is known about the processes that facilitate the development of a romantic schema in children and preadolescents. This paper proposes that the physiological and cognitive maturation that characterizes childhood and preadolescence may be particularly important for the development romantic schema. Social and contextual factors may also be key in explaining variation in romantic schemas. Empirical research on the processes associated with developing a romantic schema are necessary to gain a more holistic understanding of romantic and sexual involvement across the life course.
Next, I review developmental processes of childhood and preadolescence that may be associated with the transition toward romantic and sexual involvement, focusing on the role of physiological and cognitive development. Maturation in these areas facilitates the development a romantic schema which marks an increasing awareness of the romantic and sexual dimension of oneself. Finally, I build a model that outlines specific factors that may inhibit or accelerate the development of children and preadolescents' romantic schema. Social and contextual factors may influence timing and variation in the development of romantic schema.