Before World War II, high school and college students generally dated multiple people, called 'playing the field.' Sociologists characterized this form of dating as 'competitive.' Steady dating began to replace casual dating in the 1940s, and there was a move away from 'competitive' dating during the war towards committed relationships. It is speculated that the emphasis on early marriage during and after WWII was linked to the impulse to go steady. Going steady became even more pervasive after the war ended and was a frequent theme in popular teen novels of the time.