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…

The current series of studies was conducted to explore the interplay between death awareness, fear of intimacy, and unsafe sex. In Study 1 (n=73), making mortality salient led to higher willingness to engage in risky sexual behaviors, in comparison to a control condition. In addition, only in the mortality salience condition, lower fear of…

This study explored which risk factors are associated with degrees of relational and purpose development in youth offenders. Results indicate that those with the poorest development particularly struggled with substance abuse, lack of family support, and risky behaviors to self. Several treatment recommendations and clinical strategies are…

I offer an autoethnographic exploration of my experience with the culture of a marriage and family therapist (MFT) in training. As a beginning therapist I assumed that success would be determined primarily by how well I mastered different theoretical models. This belief shifted during an instance in which I was planning to begin differentiating…

This study examined the association between different types of integration in the gay community and HIV risk among gay male couples. Previous research linking gay community integration and involvement among couples to HIV risk has been equivocal. Each partner in 59 gay couples completed a separate anonymous questionnaire that assessed two types of…

The Relationship Involvement Scale was created to allow individuals to identify the degree to which they are involved in a relationship. The developed scale includes norms, reliability, and validity and was completed by a total of 306 undergraduates at two southern universities. While there were no significant differences between women and men on…

This study examined vicarious trauma effects in male and female clinicians who treat sexual abuse survivors (n = 111) and sexual offenders (n = 272). The national survey was conducted using a random sample of clinical members of two professional organizations. Analyses tested the relationships between demographic variables, maltreatment history,…