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Individuals hold implicit beliefs about the nature of romantic relationships. Growth beliefs are characterized by thoughts that romantic relationships can be cultivated over time, whereas destiny beliefs are characterized by thoughts that relationships are either meant to be or not. In the current research, we propose that individuals who hold strong growth beliefs (but not destiny beliefs) should be more likely to experience self-expansion, as these individuals are oriented toward relationship cultivation. In turn, this increase in self-expansion should promote greater relationship quality and maintenance. Across three studies (two cross-sectional and one longitudinal) that sampled from varying populations and relationship types, we found evidence that self-expansion mediates the association between growth beliefs (but not destiny beliefs) and satisfaction, commitment, accommodation, and dissolution consideration. These data provide insights into the mechanisms by which implicit theories influence relationship functioning and establish implicit theories as an individual-level antecedent to the self-expansion experience.

We examined the interplay between husbands’ and wives’ positive and negative nonsexual interpersonal behaviors, frequency of sexual intercourse, sexual satisfaction, and feelings of marital satisfaction. To do this, we conducted an in-depth face-to-face interview and completed a series of telephone diaries with 105 couples during their second, third, and fourteenth years of marriage. Consistent with the argument that women’s sexual response is tied to intimacy (Basson, 2000), multilevel analyses revealed that husbands’ positive interpersonal behaviors directed toward their wives—but not wives’ positivity nor spouses’ negative behaviors (regardless of gender)— predicted the frequency with which couples engaged in intercourse. The frequency of sexual intercourse and interpersonal negativity predicted both husbands’ and wives’ sexual satisfaction ; wives’ positive behaviors were also tied to husbands’ sexual satisfaction. When spouses’ interpersonal behaviors, frequency of sexual intercourse, and sexual satisfaction were considered in tandem, all but the frequency of sexual intercourse were associated with marital satisfaction. When it comes to feelings of marital satisfaction, therefore, a satisfying sex life and a warm interpersonal climate appear to matter more than does a greater frequency of sexual intercourse. Collectively, these findings shed much-needed light on the interplay between the nonsexual interpersonal climate of marriage and spouses’ sexual relationships.

This special issue on “mind–body connections in personal relationships” brings together 8 empirical contributions by researchers from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds. The objectives for this issue were threefold: (a) to highlight research being conducted by close relationships researchers, (b) to foster disciplinary cross-pollination, and (c) to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of the research in this domain. The quality of the submissions received for this special issue ensured that all of these objectives were met. The primary goal for this introduction to the special issue was to briefly outline how close relationships scholars are in prime position to contribute to a holistic understanding of the mechanisms underlying the reciprocal association between close relationships and physical/physiological functioning.

Historically, individuals in search of a romantic partner have expanded their pool of alternatives by meeting others through their personal social networks. In the last few decades, however, a growing singles population, coupled with advances in technology, has promoted the utilisation and modernization of contemporary marriage market intermediaries (MMIs), including online dating sites, social networking sites, and professional matchmaking services. Importantly, these contemporary MMIs depart from more normative methods for meeting others, making their use ripe for social stigmatization, as evidenced by myriad portrayals in the popular media. The purpose of the present research was to provide an empirical exploration of the validity of the layperson stigma towards users of contemporary MMIs by assessing the extent to which users and nonusers of these various services differ on key individual characteristics relevant to relationship initiation and progression. Specifically, we surveyed 96 individuals, all of whom were attending a singles‘ happy hour, and compared users and nonusers of contemporary MMIs on several important characteristics. Although users reported going on more dates and perceived greater attractiveness in others at the event, no differences were observed in personality (i.e., the Big 5) or adult attachment classification (i.e., secure vs. insecure). Altogether, our findings suggest that users of contemporary MMIs are not socially undesirable people (or at least any more undesirable than nonusers).

We assessed the impact of an individual difference variable, relationship-focused thinking, on women's acute salivary cortisol responses during and after a guided imagery task. Specifically, 29 healthy women, all of whom were experiencing high levels of passionate love, but varied on levels of relationship-focused thinking, were assigned to one of two experimental conditions: a partner reflection condition or a cross-sex friend reflection condition. Results indicated that women experiencing passionate love evidenced increased cortisol levels when asked to reflect on their romantic partner and relationship relative to women asked to reflect on a cross-sex friendship, but this difference was particularly pronounced and relatively long-lasting for those women characterized by a high amount of relationship-focused thinking. Our study significantly expands extant work on the passionate love-cortisol link by isolating the impact of a specific psychological variable, relationship-focused thinking, on the physiological experience of falling in love. We believe our work highlights the advances that can be made when established work in the close relationships and neuroendocrine fields are integrated.

Two recent studies (C. R. Agnew, T. J. Loving, & S. M. Drigotas, 2001; T. K. MacDonald & M. Ross, 1999) investigated the relative ability of outsiders’ (network members) and daters’ perceptions of the daters’ romance to predict relationship fate. Careful analysis of these studies suggests that the types of network members asked and what is asked significantly impact the prognostic ability of outsiders’ perceptions. The current research replicates and extends this literature and highlights the challenges posed when collecting outsiders’ perspectives of their friends’ relationships. Daters and 2 friends (1 female, 1 male) were asked to provide their perceptions of the dating relationship on 2 indexes: a direct prediction of the likelihood that the relationship would last 6 months and an overall qualitative assessment of the dater’s commitment. Results highlight the need for researchers to carefully attend to the instruments and samples employed when obtaining multiple perspectives of the same dating relationship.

Five studies were conducted to develop and validate a brief measure of socially desirable responding (SDR) for use in close relationships research, the Inventory of Desirable Responding in Relationships (IDRR). Specifically, a two-component measure of SDR was created to assess individuals' tendencies to: (i) deceive themselves, and (ii) deceive others regarding negative aspects of their close relationship. Study 1 employed exploratory factor analyses to isolate items that loaded on two factors, labeled Relationship Self-Deception (REL-SD) and Relationship Impression Management (REL-IM). Study 2 confirmed the factor structure obtained in Study 1 and provided evidence for a two-factor versus one-factor model of relationship SDR. Consistent with the hypotheses, Study 3 demonstrated that REL-IM scores are higher when generated in a public condition relative to an anonymous condition, whereas REL-SD scores remain unaffected by this manipulation. Consistent with the literature on the role of illusions in mental health, Study 4 demonstrated that REL-SD is associated with multiple indices of relationship health. Study 5 validated the scale on a sample of married adults and provided evidence of divergent validity. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

This research focused on perceptions held by heterosexual couples' friendship network concerning the couple's relationship. In a three-wave longitudinal study, we examined (a) whether these perceptions were similar to the couple's views of the relationship, (b) whether they predicted current relationship state and future fate, and (c) how they compared with the couple's perceptions in predicting fate. Consistent with within-dyad idealization, results from a North American sample indicated that network perceptions of relationship state were significantly more negative than those held by a couple. Although both the couples' and the total networks' perceptions predicted fate, friends of the female couple member were particularly successful at predicting relationship dissolution. An examination of possible mechanisms whereby friends may come to possess particularly predictive perceptions supported the role of couple-disclosure in this process.

Given the importance of close relationships in all facets of human life, it is no surprise that research on relationship processes is multidisciplinary and divergent in methodology. Such diversity in the study of close relationships should allow for a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of relationship processes, but researchers in different fields have yet to integrate their findings into a deeper, more holistic model of close relationship functioning. This book brings together different perspectives on close relationships to explore how such relationships develop, function, and interact across a variety of contexts. Prominent scholars contribute theory and empirical research rooted in developmental, social, and cross-cultural psychology, as well as evolutionary science, individual differences, and psychophysiology. Both early and adult relationships are examined, along with parent-child relationships. This excellent resource will be well received by researchers and students in the social sciences who are interested in a broader, more collaborative approach to relationship science.

We examined how daters' levels of relationship dependence interact with men's and women's degree of accommodation during a likelihood of marriage discussion to predict cortisol levels at the conclusion of the discussion. Upon arriving at the laboratory, couple members were separated and asked to graph their perceived likelihood of one day marrying each other. Couples were reunited and instructed to create a joint graph depicting their agreed-upon chance of marriage. For the majority of couples, negotiating their likelihood of marriage required one or both partners to accommodate each other's presumed likelihood of marriage. Multilevel analyses revealed a significant Dependence × Accommodation × Sex interaction. For women who increased their likelihood of marriage, feelings of dependence predicted heightened levels of cortisol relative to baseline; we suggest such a response is indicative of eustress. Among men, those who accommodated by decreasing their likelihood of marriage experienced significantly lower levels of cortisol to the extent that they were less dependent on their partners. Discussion focuses on why men and women show different physiological reactions in response to seemingly favorable outcomes from a relationship discussion.

We examined 31 older couples’ wife demand/husband withdraw communication patterns and cortisol responses to marital conflict. Regression analyses indicated that wife demand/husband withdraw sequences during conflict related to cortisol responses only for wives. Based on a mixed model that accounted for the interdependence of spouses’ perceptions of communication patterns and outcomes, older spouses who reported greater wife demand/husband withdraw patterns in their marriage had greater cortisol responses during a conflict discussion; actual demand-withdraw did not relate to cortisol responses in this model. Findings suggest that perceived communication patterns contribute to neuroendocrine responses to marital conflict, and implications for marriage and health research with older couples are discussed.