The purpose of this paper is to describe an intuitively appealing continuum along which motives relevant to situations of social interdependence may be located. Aditionally, it is argued that individuals differ in terms of their positions on this continuum, and that such differences are important to a general theory of bargaining. The argument is…

In association with an extensive examination of the disclosure literature, this paper describes two laboratory studies designed to yield information regarding the effects of reinforcement on self-disclosing behaviors in an exchange process. In one series, the experimenters manipulated the patterns of personal reward/cost experiences, hypothesizing…

Recent studies have investigated the transition of relationships from a more intimate to a less intimate state--the depenetration process. Various phases of interpersonal conflict in the dissolution of marital dyads have been described, and factors indicating that a marriage might be "in trouble" have been identified. Processes that are…