College students read vignettes and rated behavior of adult, identified as stepfather or father and depicted as spanking child (Study 1) or behaving affectionately toward child (Study 2). Findings revealed less positive perception of stepfathers, compared to fathers, carrying out disciplinary role in Study 1. In Study 2, affectionate stepfathers…

Adolescents (n=349) completed questionnaire evaluating friendships, expectations, intimacy and attachment, and conflict with friends. Found small differences in friendship network across gender and age. Girls expected more from their friends than did boys, and girls' level of attachment and intimacy with friends was greater. Number of friends in…

Explored position that relational patterns indicative of Personal Authority in Family System occur during fourth and early fifth decades of life. Participants were 232 university students. Canonical correlations revealed that, as age increases, amount of variance accounted for by nuclear family triangulation, intergenerational intimidation, and…

Utilizes the lyrics of popular recordings to illustrate how intense emotional involvements can affect individual behavior as it examines the lyrical question, "What kind of fool am I?" The commentary is supplemented by an extensive discography featuring more than 150 recordings released over the past five decades. (AEF)

Examines how some links among various models of individual and family relationships begin to constitute a science of intimate relationships. Examples from a theory of personality socialization in the family are given to illustrate how links between theory and practice can be achieved through various methods. (Author/MKA)

Examines the relationship between forgiveness and psychosocial development using a sample of students (N=113) in their first year of a teacher-education program. Results suggest that psychosocial development provides a potentially useful assessment framework for understanding how a client will understand and implement the forgiveness process.…

Examined how conflictual and positive sibling relationship qualities differed for fourth, sixth, and eighth graders. Found that several prosocial relationship qualities were lower for sixth graders and higher for eighth graders. Perceptions of relationship qualities differed by gender composition, with boy-boy dyads reporting lower levels of…

Surveys a national sample of female counselors (n=377) regarding sexual contact in professional relations. Few counselors reported a relationship with clients, supervisees, or students. Individuals with doctoral degrees were more likely to have had sexual contact with their own counselors, supervisors, or teachers. Contact in current relationships…

A case study of Relationship Enhancement (RE) therapy with a couple, in which the woman was identified as having vaginismus, is presented including excerpts of transcripts from the therapy sessions. RE's effectiveness at improving communication skills and providing structure in which the couple could discuss the intimate issues affecting the…

Used the investment model to predict relationship status and satisfaction among a sample of heterosexual dating couples. On several dimensions, females had cognitions that were more relationship maintaining than males. Findings suggest that females may be more invested in their relationships than males. This greater investment may provide them…

Using sexual exclusivity as an indication of commitment to a partner, examines commitment within dating, cohabitation, and marriage. Employing data from the National Survey of Women (1991), finds that cohabitation, in terms of sexual commitment, is more similar to dating than marriage, and that cohabitation, relative to marriage, is selective of…

This study examined the links between sibling relational aggression and other sibling relationship qualities (i.e., intimacy, negativity, and temporal involvement) and broader parenting dynamics. Participants included 185 adolescent sibling pairs and their mothers and fathers. Data were gathered during home interviews and a series of nightly phone…

The acronym RICH stands for resources, intimacy, competence, and health. These characteristics are purported to define psychological health, which is assumed to be synonymous with happiness. The four characteristics encompass all possible reinforcers, are relatively obtainable by all individuals, are interrelated to the extent they incorporate…

A model of risk regulation is proposed to explain how people balance the goal of seeking closeness to a romantic partner against the opposing goal of minimizing the likelihood and pain of rejection. The central premise is that confidence in a partner's positive regard and caring allows people to risk seeking dependence and connectedness. The risk…

This study examined the predictors of longevity among 40 late adolescent romantic couples (mean age males=17.71 years; mean age females=17.18 years). Subjects were given a revealed differences task where they were asked to solve their disagreements. The joint task was recorded, transcribed and analysed by two raters. At 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24…