The Science of Intimate Relationships

Garth Fletcher is Professor of Psychology at Victoria University Wellington. He is a fellow of five societies including the Royal Society of New Zealand, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and has been associate editor of both Personal Relationships and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Fletcher has published over 100 articles and book chapters, and has authored and edited 6 books. Jeffry A. Simpson is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Doctoral Minor in Interpersonal Relationships (IREL) at the University of Minnesota. He has been the editor of the journal Personal Relationships and is currently the editor of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Interpersonal Relations and Group Processes (JPSP–IRGP). Simpson is the incoming president of the International Association for Relationship Research, and has published nearly 200 articles and chapters along with several edited books. Lorne Campbell is Associate Professor of Psychology the University of Western Ontario. He has published over 40 articles and book chapters, serves on the editorial board of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and has been the editor of the journal Personal Relationships. Nickola Overall is Senior Lecturer of Psychology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She has published over 35 articles and book chapters, serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and is currently associate editor for Personal Relationships.

About the Authors xv


Preface xvi


Part One: Introduction 1


1 The Science of Intimate Relationships 3


2 Intimate Relationships in Context: Key Theories, Concepts, and Human Nature 14


Part Two: The Relationship Animal 39


3 The Intimate Relationship Mind 41


4 The Intimate Relationship Body 69


Part Three: Beginning Relationships: Att achment and Mate Selection 97


5 Born to Bond: from Infancy to Adulthood 99


6 Selecting Mates 125


Part Four: Maintaining Relationships:the Psychology of Intimacy 155


7 Love, Sweet Love 157


8 Reading Minds, Partners, and Relationships 184


9 Communication and Interaction 210


10 Sex and Passion 236


11 Relationship Violence 259


Part Five: Ending Relationships: the Causes and Consequences of Relationship Dissolution 285


12 Relationship Dissolution 287


Part Six: Conclusion 313


13 Assembling the Relationship Jigsaw 315


Glossary 327


References 338


Author Index 383


Subject Index 390