This study combined qualitative and quantitative methods to assess the reasons many women use indirect messages to say "no" to men's attempts to escalate sexual intimacy. Subjects were six female students at a large southwestern university. At one time, one group had four women, at another time the group had two women. All were…

This bibliography presents annotations of 28 selected items (mostly journal articles) which deal with conflict communication in intimate relationships. It updates a similar bibliography on conflict management and resolution in close personal relationships published in 1986. (SR)

A study used a qualitative account analysis of excessively intimate encounters to investigate behaviors commonly described by male and female receivers, cognitive schemata invoked to explain why the intimacy was excessive, and the effect of the excessively intimate episode on the relationship. Subjects, 86 female and 37 male students enrolled in…

Although psychologists, sociologists, family scientists and communication experts are making important contributions to the study of personal relationships, discussion of the gender differences that often create barriers to intimacy, and how these differences are reflected in the communication process, is notably absent from much of this work.…

Asserts that heterosexual sexual involvement in the contemporary college population is often sporadic, episodic, without commitment, and accompanied by deliberate effort of both partners to suppress tender, romantic feelings and intimacy. Suggests the sources of this situation lie in changes in the ethos, the ascent of women, advances in…

Examined the process of marital disaffection to determine whether there is a pattern of sequential stages. Developed three-phase model of disaffection from the results of in-depth interviews with 49 highly disaffected spouses. Results suggest that marital therapy must involve different goals and interventions during each phase of disaffection to…

Investigated factors associated with relationship quality of 49 first-time pregnant women and their mothers using data from a two-wave mail survey. Compared correlations of intimacy and perceptions of equity with correlations of intimacy and actual help patterns. Findings indicated that perception of equity is more associated with relationship…

Describes assessment technique used by interdisciplinary staff on coed Alzheimer's disease unit to help determine patients' competencies to participate in intimate relationships. Two case studies are presented to highlight how assessment led to treatment decisions. (Author/NB)

Examines the effectiveness of indirect requests in attaining assistance from intimate and nonintimate others. Finds that directness of requests increases request force and interacts with relational intimacy to influence verbal compliance. Finds that directness is more effective at eliciting verbal compliance at higher levels of intimacy. (KEH)

Avoidance strategy use, techniques used to deal with unwelcome requests from others, has been found to vary along compliance and bilateral dimensions in intimate relationships. Examined avoidance strategy use among undergraduates from United States (U.S.) and Mexico. Found U.S. women used more nonverbal disapproval and voicing objections than did…

Examined potential effect of self-disclosure in intervention program for male college seniors (N=60) with deficient job-interviewing skills. Four different counselors treating participants on individual basis provided predetermined, genuine self-disclosures reflecting qualities of intimacy and/or skill display. Results did not support supposition…

A number of writers have argued that Erikson's stages of identity and intimacy do not address the experience of women accurately. This article contends that such claims come out of a serious misreading of Erikson's work, and shows that the stages as they stand are not incompatible with the idea that there are relational components of identity…

Administered Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Inventory to 207 adolescents to assess perceived expressions and desires in 3 categories of interpersonal relationships: inclusion (companionship), control (leadership), and affection (intimacy). Found differences in expression of all categories; desire for inclusion and affection. Males ranked…

The microstructures of interpersonal networks in China and the United States contain many consistent patterns, despite the countries' great differences. In-group choices and network diversity are analyzed with regard to age, sex, educational attainment, occupation, socioeconomic status, and proportion of kin in the network. Contains 21 references…

Evaluated effectiveness of marital therapy designed to enhance intimacy through self-disclosure of personal constructs. Couples in therapy (n=22) and controls (n=19) showed significant reduction in symptoms of nonpsychotic emotional illness. Couples in therapy subjectively reported improvement. Found significant pattern of improvement for wives in…