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A rebound is an undefined period following the break up of a romantic relationship. The term's use dates to at least the 1830s, when Mary Russell Mitford wrote of "nothing so easy as catching a heart on the rebound".[1] The term may also refer to a romantic relationship that a person has during the rebound period, or to the partner in such a relationship.
Someone who is "on the rebound," or recently out of a serious dating relationship, is popularly believed to be psychologically incapable of making reasonable decisions regarding suitable partners due to emotional neediness, lingering feelings towards the old partner, or unresolved problems from the previous relationship. Rebound relationships are believed to be short-lived due to one partner's emotional instability and desire to distract themselves from a painful break up, and those emerging from serious relationships are often advised to avoid serious dating until their tumultuous emotions have calmed.
A 2006 study from Princeton University[2] found evidence supporting the veracity of popular "rebound" beliefs [what beliefs?] for the recently divorced, but did not examine rebounds and dating.