Handbook of Closeness and Intimacy

The goal of this new text is to bring together the latest thinking on the scientific study of closeness and intimacy from the most active and widely recognized relationship scholars in social and clinical psychology, communication studies, and related disciplines. The chapters address six general questions: What are closeness and intimacy? How can they be measured? What are the general processes? What individual differences play a role in closeness and intimacy? What situational factors play a role? Is there a dark side to closeness and intimacy? Each chapter in the "Handbook of Closeness and Intimacy" follows a similar format so as to provide continuity for the reader. Each contributing author: defines their understanding of the meaning of closeness and intimacy; summarizes an existing program of research and provides a clear overview of a particular theoretical framework; presents a plethora of new ideas, applications, and previously unstated theoretical connections; and provides applicable cross-references to other chapters to further integrate the material presented. What stands out in this volume is its specific focus on the pivotal phenomena of closeness and intimacy. Thus, the book sets off the two topics and, in a sense, establishes it as a substantial sub-area of relationship science. The resulting handbook is more than a simple anthology of ideas. By weaving together arrayed tenets, findings, and applications, contributors have created a compendium of integrated knowledge about these central relationship constructs. Importantly embedded in these chapters are findings that challenge commonly held assumptions about closeness and intimacy.The concluding chapter articulates the places where many lines converge and the areas that will clearly benefit from additional attention. By being cognizant of the links between the chapters, readers will likely be in a position to better forge the state of future understanding. This indispensable handbook will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, and students from a variety of disciplines, including social, clinical, and developmental psychology; family studies; counseling; and communications. The handbook can also be used as a main or supplemental text in advanced courses on personal and/or close relationships taught in a variety of departments.