The Mating Game

Pamela Regan is Professor of Psychology at California State University, Los Angeles. She received her Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Minnesota and her undergraduate degree in English from Williams College. Her research interests are in the areas of close relationships and human sexuality, with an emphasis on passionate love, sexual desire, and mate preference. She has published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, and reviews (and has given over 75 professional presentations) on the dynamics of sex, love, and human mating, and she is the author of Close Relationships (Routledge, 2011), the co-author (with Ellen Berscheid) of The Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships (Pearson, 2005) and Lust: What We Know About Human Sexual Desire (Sage, 1999), and the co-author (with Bruce King) of Human Sexuality Today (Pearson, 2014). In 2007, she was honored with the Outstanding Professor Award by her university for excellence in instruction and professional achievement.

PART I. Mating Relationships
Chapter 1: Mate Preferences
Theoretical Approaches to Human Mating
Methods Used to Examine Mate Preferences
Empirical Evidence
Continuing Debates
Chapter 2: Attraction, Affiliation, and Courtship
Who Do We Like? Principles of Romantic Attraction
Who Do We Approach? Principles of Romantic Affiliation
How Do We Convey Romantic Interest? Principles of Flirting
E-Courtship: Attraction, Affiliation, and Flirting in Cyberspace
The First Date
Beyond the First Date: Initiating a Romantic Relationship
Pathways to Commitment
Chapter 3: Relationship Development
The Sequence of Relationship Development
The Process of Relationship Development
Chapter 4: Marriage and Mate Selection
Mating Systems Across Cultures
The Nature of Marriage
Division of Labor
Marital Satisfaction: How Happy Are Married Couples?
Has Marriage Changed Over Time?
Same-Sex Marriage
Cohabitation: An Alternative to Marriage
Chapter 5: Conflict and Dissolution
Conflict
Relationship Dissolution
Chapter 6: Intervention
Identifying Distressed Relationships
Treating Distressed Relationships
Does Therapy Work?
Part II. Love
Chapter 7: General Theories of Love
The Triangular Theory of Love
The Colors (Styles) of Love
The Prototype Approach: Mental Models of Love
Chapter 8: Passionate and Companionate Love
Passionate Love: A “Sexy” Kind of Love
Companionate Love: A “Sturdy” Kind of Love
Chapter 9: Love Gone Bad: Problematic Aspects of Love
Unrequited Passionate Love: When the One We Love Does Not Love Us
Relational Stalking: When Romantic Interest Becomes Obsession
Relational Aggression: When Love Turns Violent
Loss of Passion: When Attraction Fades
PART III. Sex
Chapter 10: Sexual Attitudes
Beliefs About Sex in Dating Relationships
Beliefs About Sex in Marital Relationships
Chapter 11: Sex in Beginning Relationships
Sexuality and the Attraction Process
Sexuality in Beginning Relationships
Chapter 12: Sex in Established Relationships
Sexual Frequency
Sexual Practices
Sexual Preferences
Sexual Satisfaction
Sexual Communication
Sexuality and Relationship Satisfaction
Chapter 13: Sex Gone Bad: Problematic Aspects of Relational Sex
Sexual Disinterest: When the One We Desire Does Not Desire Us
Sexual Assault: When Sex Becomes Nonconsensual
Sexual Infidelity: When the One We’ve Chosen Cheats
Sexual Jealousy: A Common Response to Infidelity
PART IV. Individual Differences
Chapter 14: Maleness and Femaleness
Biological Sex
Psychological Gender and Gender Role Orientation
Chapter 15: Personality
Supertraits
Self-Monitoring
Sociosexual Orientation
Chapter 16: Interpersonal Belief Systems
Attachment Styles
Rejection Sensitivity
Romanticism