Handbook of Closeness and Intimacy

by Mashek, Debra J.; Aron, Arthur; Le, Benjamin; Reis, Harry T.

• ISBN13: 9780805842845
• ISBN10: 0805842845
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-02-11
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

This handbook brings together the latest thinking on the scientific study of closeness and intimacy from some of the most active and widely recognized relationship scholars in social and clinical psychology, communication studies, and related disciplines. Each contributing author defines their understanding of the meaning of closeness and intimacy; summarizes existing research and provides an overview of a theoretical framework; presents new ideas, applications, and previously unstated theoretical connections; and provides cross-references to other chapters to further integrate the material. The Handbook of Closeness and Intimacy will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and students from social, clinical, and developmental psychology; family studies; counseling; and communication.

Author Biography

Dr. Debra J. Mashek is a member of the research faculty at George Mason University. She received her Ph.D. in Social and Health Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her research examines the influence of interpersonal closeness (including community connectednes) on cognitive self-processing, relationship satisfaction, and psychological adjustment.
Dr. Arthur Aron is Professor of Psychology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has published widely on relationships, has been awarded major grants for the study of relationships, and is best known for his work on the cognitive structure of closeness. He recently completed a six-year term as Associate Editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Introduction	1	(8)
Debra J. Mashek
Arthur P. Aron
SECTION I: WHAT ARE CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY?
A Prototype Model of Intimacy Interactions in Same-Sex Friendships	9	(18)
Beverley Fehr
Closeness as Including Other in the Self	27	(16)
Arthur P. Aron
Debra J. Mashek
Elaine N. Aron
Deep Intimate Connection: Self and Intimacy in Couple Relationships	43	(18)
Karen J. Prager
Linda J. Roberts
Intimacy as an Interpersonal Process: Current Status and Future Directions	61	(20)
Jean-Philippe Laurenceau
Luis M. Rivera
Amy R. Schaffer
Paula R. Pietromonaco
SECTION II: HOW CAN CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY BE MEASURED?
Measuring Closeness: The Relationship Closeness Inventory (RCI) Revisited	81	(22)
Ellen Berscheid
Mark Snyder
Allen M. Omoto
Thinking Close: Measuring Relational Closeness as Perceived Self-Other Inclusion	103	(14)
Christopher R. Agnew
Timothy J. Loving
Benjamin Le
Wind Goodfriend
A Practical Look at Intimacy: ENRICH Couple Typology	117	(20)
Edward F. Kouneski
David H. Olson
SECTION III: WHAT ARE THE GENERAL PROCESSES OF CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY?
Interdependence, Closeness, and Relationships	137	(26)
Caryl E. Rusbult
Madoka Kumashiro
Michael K. Coolsen
Jeffrey L. Kirchner
An Attachment Theory Perspective on Closeness and Intimacy	163	(26)
Nancy L. Collins
Brooke C. Feeney
Sexual Passion, Intimacy, and Gender	189	(12)
Kathleen D. Vohs
Roy F. Baumeister
Perceived Partner Responsiveness as an Organizing Construct in the Study of Intimacy and Closeness	201	(28)
Harry T. Reis
Margaret S. Clark
John G. Holmes
SECTION IV: WHAT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES PLAY A ROLE IN CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY?
The Relational Self-Construal and Closeness	229	(18)
Susan E. Cross
Jonathan S. Gore
The Link Between the Pursuit of Intimacy Goals and Satisfaction in Close Relationships: An Examination of the Underlying Processes	247	(20)
Catherine A. Sanderson
The Impact of Adult Temperament on Closeness and Intimacy	267	(20)
Elaine N. Aron
SECTION V: WHAT SITUATIONAL FACTORS PLAY A ROLE IN CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY?
Beyond the Individual: Concomitants of Closeness in the Social and Physical Environment	287	(18)
Ximena B. Arriaga
Wind Goodfriend
Andrew Lohmann
Loss of an Intimate Partner Through Death	305	(16)
Camille B. Wortman
Karin Wolff
George A. Bonanno
The Cultural Grounding of Closeness and Intimacy	321	(22)
Glenn Adams
Stephanie L. Anderson
Joseph K. Adonu
SECTION VI: IS THERE A DARK SIDE TO CLOSENESS AND INTIMACY?
Desiring Less Closeness With Intimate Others	343	(14)
Debra J. Mashek
Michelle D. Sherman
Closeness as Intersubjectivity: Social Absorption and Social Individuation	357	(18)
William Ickes
Joanna Hutchison
Debra Mashek
Methods for Overcoming the Fear of Intimacy	375	(22)
Robert W. Firestone
Lisa Firestone
Avoidant Attachment: Exploration of an Oxymoron	397	(18)
Robin S. Edelstein
Phillip R. Shaver
CONCLUSION
Conclusion	415	(14)
Arthur P. Aron
Debra J. Mashek
Author Index	429	(16)
Subject Index	445