Intimate Relationships

Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1: An Introduction to Relationship Science Why Study Relationship Science? What Are Different Kinds of Intimate Relationships? How Is this Book Organized? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 2: Research Methods and Analysis What Research Methods Help Us Understand Relationships? How Do We Analyze Results? What Is "Open Science"? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 3: Friendship and Singlehood What Predicts How and When Friendships Will Form? How Do Friendships Change Over Time, and How Can Healthy Friendships Be Maintained? Why Do Some People Choose Singlehood Versus Commitment to a Relationship Partner? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 4: Attraction What Physical Factors Predict Attraction? What Psychological Factors Predict Attraction? What Environmental Factors Predict Attraction? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 5: The Evolutionary Perspective How Is an Evolutionary Perspective Applied to Intimate Relationships? How Does the Evolutionary Perspective Explain Sex Differences in Promiscuity and Jealousy? How Can the Evolutionary Perspective Apply to Other Important Relationship Behaviors? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 6: Attachment Theory What Is Attachment Theory, and How Was It Formed? How Is Attachment Theory Applied to Adult Relationships? What Are Important Questions for and About Attachment Theory? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 7: Interdependence Theory What Are the Main Ideas Within Interdependence Theory? What Factors Predict Relationship Commitment and Stability? What Advances to Interdependence Theory Have Been Made? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 8: Social Cognition How Do We Form and Maintain Impressions? How Are We Biased Toward Our Current Partner? How Do Our Worldviews Affect Our Relationships? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 9: Modern Dating in a Digital Age How Has the Modern Landscape of Dating and Relationships Changed? How Do People Navigate the Complexities of Online Dating? What Are the Main Challenges in Modern Dating? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 10: Sexuality How Does Sexual Identity Vary? How Does Culture Influence Sexuality? How Can Sexual Experiences Be More Satisfying? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 11: Communication and Conflict How Can Communication Build Intimacy in Relationships? What Are Common Stresses and Strains in Relationships? How Do People in Relationships Engage in Conflict Management? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 12: Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence What Does Research Say About Sexual Assault and Rape? What Does Relationship Violence Look Like? How Do Survivors Escape and Heal? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 13: Dissolution and Divorce How Do People Decide to End Their Relationship? What Predicts Breakup and Divorce? What Does Life Look Like After a Relationship Ends? Chapter Summary List of Terms Chapter 14: Enduring Love What Can People Do to Maintain Healthy Relationships Over Time? What Can Couple Members Do to Understand and Cope with Relationship Problems? Can Counseling Help Couples Overcome Relationship Problems? Chapter Summary List of Terms Glossary References Index