Interpersonal relationship

About: Interpersonal relationship is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 22392 publications have been published within this topic receiving 937957 citations. The topic is also known as: interpersonal status & relationship.

How interpersonal motives clarify the meaning of interpersonal behavior: A revised circumplex model.

Abstract: Circumplex models have organized interpersonal behavior along 2 orthogonal dimensions--communion (which emphasizes connection between people) and agency (which emphasizes one person's influence over the other). However, many empirical studies have disconfirmed certain predictions from these models. We therefore revised the model in 4 ways that highlight interpersonal motives. In our revision: (a) the negative pole of communion is indifference, not hostility; (b) a given behavior invites (not evokes) a desired reaction from the partner; (c) the complement of a behavior is a reaction that would satisfy the motive behind that behavior; (d) noncomplementary reactions induce negative affect. If the motive is unclear, the meaning of the behavior is ambiguous. This ambiguity helps explain failures in social support, miscommunications in everyday life, and features of most personality disorders. The model emphasizes measurable individual differences: Reactions that are complementary for one person need not be complementary for another.

Intimacy and relationship processes in couples' psychosocial adaptation to cancer.

Abstract: The authors highlighted the importance of viewing cancer from a relationship perspective. This perspective not only considers the marital relationship as a resource that individual partners draw upon but also highlights the importance of focusing attention onto the relationship and engaging in communication behaviors aimed at sustaining and/or enhancing the relationship during stressful times. On the basis of existing conceptualizations, empiric research on couples and cancer, and the authors' perspective on the literature, they formulated the relationship intimacy model of couples' psychosocial adaptation to cancer as a first step toward building a framework for researchers and clinicians to inform their work in this area. The model proposes that patients and their partners engage in behaviors that either promote or undermine the level of closeness in their relationship and that the closeness of the marital relationship is an important determinant of patient and partner psychologic adaptation to cancer. Preliminary data from a couples' intimacy-enhancing intervention for breast cancer patients and their partners supported the model. Of the 25 couples who consented to participate in the intervention and completed the preintervention surveys, 15 couples completed all 5 sessions, and 12 couples completed the follow-up survey. The current results suggested that the intervention improved patient and partner perceptions of the closeness of their relationship and reduced their distress. The authors also discuss limitations of the relationship intimacy model as well as future directions for empiric and clinical research on couples' psychosocial adaptation to cancer. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.

When Belief Creates Reality

Abstract: Publisher Summary It is a basic and an undeniable fact of social life that one form impressions of other people whom they encounter in the day-to-day lives. As a direct result of generations of theory and research on impression formation and person perception, investigators have learned a great deal about the way individuals process information to form beliefs and impressions of other people. Accordingly, there exists considerable knowledge about the antecedents of social beliefs. The practical implications of these reality-constructing consequences of social beliefs are considerable, both at the level of individual lives and at the level of society. This chapter highlights that the processes of social thought are intimately woven into the fabric of social interaction and interpersonal relationships. The events of the lives are very much a reflection of one's beliefs about other people in the social worlds. Finally, it is in this sense that beliefs can and do create reality.

The Close Relationships of Lesbians and Gay Men

Abstract: This article reviews empirical studies of same-sex couples in the United States, highlighting consistent findings, drawing comparisons to heterosexual couples, and noting gaps in available research. U.S. Census data indicate that there were more than 600,000 samesex couples living together in 2000. Research about relationship formation, the division of household labor, power, satisfaction, sexuality, conflict, commitment, and relationship stability is presented. Next, we highlight three recent research topics: the legalization of samesex relationships through civil unions and same-sex marriage, the experiences of same-sex couples raising children, and the impact of societal prejudice and discrimination on same-sex partners. We conclude with comments about the contributions of empirical research to debunking negative stereotypes of same-sex couples, testing the generalizability of theories about close relationships, informing our understanding of gender and close relationships, and providing a scientific basis for public policy.