Understanding interpersonal relationships requires understanding actors, behaviors, and contexts. This 2002 volume presents research from a variety of disciplines that examine personal relationships on all three levels. The first section focuses on the factors that influence individuals to enter, maintain, and dissolve relationships. The second section emphasizes ongoing processes that characterize relationships and focuses on issues such as arguing and sacrificing. The third and final section demonstrates that the process of stability and change are embedded in social, cultural, and historical contexts. Chapters address cultural universals as well as cross-cultural differences in relationship behaviors and outcomes. The emergence of relational forms, such as the interaction between people and computers, is also explored. Stability and Change in Relationships will be of interest to a broad range of fields, including psychology, sociology, communications, gerontology, and counselling.
A fundamental assumption underlying the formation of our most important relationships is that they will persist indefinitely into the future. As an acquaintanceship turns into a friend ship, for example, both members of this newly formed interpersonal bond are likely to expect that their interactions will become increasingly frequent, diverse, and intimate over time. This expectation is perhaps most apparent in romantically involved couples who, through a variety of verbal and symbolic means, make explicit pledges to a long-lasting relationship. In either case, it is clear that these relationships represent something valuable to the individuals in volved and are pursued with great enthusiasm. Virtually all close relationships are formed within the context of mutually rewarding in teractions and/or strong physical attraction between partners. Friends and romantically in volved couples alike are drawn to one another because of similarity of attitudes, interests, and personality and, quite simply, because they enjoy one another's company. This enjoyment, cou pled with the novelty that characterizes new relationships, almost makes the continuation of the relationship a foregone conclusion. As relationships progress, however, their novelty fades, conflicts may arise between partners, negative life events may occur, and the satisfaction that previously characterized the relationships may diminish.
This new book investigates how the relationships of international business networks (one buyer-multiple suppliers) develop over time, looking at the geographical angle as well as an actor composition point of view. Bart Kamp presents a framework that reveals what business-to-business (b2b) factors explain buyer-supplier co-location patterns, making it possible to predict the geographical behaviour of suppliers, and also assesses whether longevity is truly the deep-rooted feature of international b2b network relationships that it is often claimed to be.
Learn how to have better sex with your partner and build a lasting, satisfying relationship in this guide by a seasoned couples therapist. Dr. Bruce Chalmer’s Reigniting the Spark shows couples how to build a lasting relationship full of passion and fulfillment. You’ll find out how to improve your communication, have better sex, and avoid pointless arguments. Dr. Chalmer combines his expertise in science with thirty years of experience as a couples therapist to show how you can restore intimacy and overcome any relationship problem to create and maintain a lively, loving, lasting relationship. He offers a unique perspective on the role of faith—not necessarily religious—in relationships. Whatever your faith background, religious or secular, Dr. Chalmer’s approach to faith as a key to unlocking intimacy will inform and inspire you. This book explores the most common issues that sap the happiness out of a relationship and shows you exactly what to do to turn it around. Written in a relatable and easy-to-understand style, Reigniting the Spark will help you better understand yourself and your partner so you can both be more satisfied. Whether you’re reading alone or with a partner, this book will teach you: How to build and restore intimacy, trust, and a deep connection in your relationship How to identify triggering issues like trauma that could be sapping the joy out of your relationship, and exactly what to do about it A list of bad reasons people get married—and one good one How to go from plain old sex, to good sex, to sacred sex How to be your best self when your partner has been unfaithful How to know when to break up, and when to work through the inevitable growing pains in your relationship Reigniting the Spark is for any couple who’s ready to create a stronger, more fulfilling relationship. Perfect for fans of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work by Jon Gottman and Nan Silver, Kosher Sex by Shmuley Boteach, Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel, The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, and Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendricks and Helen LaKelly Hunt.
Popular Marriage & Family Therapist Linda Nusbaum brings her experience to the written word as she explores ways that couples can apply simple skills to get the fullest out of their relationships.
What makes a narcissist go from self-involved to terrifying? In this national bestseller, Joe Navarro, a leading FBI profiler, unlocks the secrets to the personality disorders that put us all at risk. “I should have known.” “How could we have missed the warning signs?” ”I always thought there was something off about him.” When we wake up to new tragedies in the news every day—shootings, rampages, acts of domestic terrorism—we often blame ourselves for missing the mania lurking inside unsuspecting individuals. But how could we have known that the charismatic leader had the characteristics of a tyrant? And how can ordinary people identify threats from those who are poised to devastate their lives on a daily basis—the crazy coworkers, out-of-control family members, or relentless neighbors? In Dangerous Personalities, former FBI profiler Joe Navarro has the answers. He shows us how to identify the four most common "dangerous personalities"—the Narcissist, the Predator, the Paranoid, and the Unstable Personality— and how to analyze the potential threat level. Along the way, he provides essential tips and tricks to protect ourselves both immediately and in the long-term, as well as how to heal the trauma of being exposed to the destructive egos in our world.
The struggles in your marriage are not happening to you and your partner; they are you and your partner. So it's time to put your relationship back on the top of your priority list. In Project Relationship, you will receive a practical action plan to get back to the passionate, peaceful, and purposeful relationship you started out with.
"One of the foremost relationship experts at work today offers creative insight on building trust and avoiding betrayal, helping readers to decode the mysteries of healthy love and relationships"--
"A fresh look at infidelity, broadening the focus from the havoc it wreaks within a committed relationship to consider also why people do it, what it means to them, and why breaking up is the expected response to duplicity — but not necessarily the wisest one.” — LA Review of Books From iconic couples’ therapist and bestselling author of Mating in Captivity comes a provocative and controversial look at infidelity with practical, honest, and empathetic advice for how to move beyond it. An affair: it can rob a couple of their relationship, their happiness, their very identity. And yet, this extremely common human experience is so poorly understood. What are we to make of this time-honored taboo—universally forbidden yet universally practiced? Why do people cheat—even those in happy marriages? Why does an affair hurt so much? When we say infidelity, what exactly do we mean? Do our romantic expectations of marriage set us up for betrayal? Is there such a thing as an affair-proof marriage? Is it possible to love more than one person at once? Can an affair ever help a marriage? Perel weaves real-life case stories with incisive psychological and cultural analysis in this fast-paced and compelling book. For the past ten years, Perel has traveled the globe and worked with hundreds of couples who have grappled with infidelity. Betrayal hurts, she writes, but it can be healed. An affair can even be the doorway to a new marriage—with the same person. With the right approach, couples can grow and learn from these tumultuous experiences, together or apart. Affairs, she argues, have a lot to teach us about modern relationships—what we expect, what we think we want, and what we feel entitled to. They offer a unique window into our personal and cultural attitudes about love, lust, and commitment. Through examining illicit love from multiple angles, Perel invites readers into an honest, enlightened, and entertaining exploration of modern marriage in its many variations. Fiercely intelligent, The State of Affairs provides a daring framework for understanding the intricacies of love and desire. As Perel observes, “Love is messy; infidelity more so. But it is also a window, like no other, into the crevices of the human heart.”
