Relationship Maintenance: Theory, Process, and Context

Description

Relationship maintenance encompasses a wide range of activities that partners use to preserve their relationships. Despite the importance of these efforts, considerably more empirical focus has been devoted to starting (i.e. initiation) and ending (i.e. dissolution) relationships than on maintaining them. In this volume, internationally renowned scholars from a variety of disciplines describe diverse sets of relationship maintenance efforts in order to show why some relationships endure, whereas others falter. By focusing on 'what to do' rather than 'what not to do' in relationships, this book paints a more comprehensive picture of the forms, functions, and contexts of relationship maintenance. It is essential reading for scholars and students in psychology, communication, human development and family science, sociology, and couple/marriage and family therapy.

Brian G. Ogolsky is Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He has won the International Association for Relationship Research's Book Award and several teaching awards for his mentorship and classroom teaching of statistics, methods, and intimate relationships. J. Kale Monk is a fellow of the Center for Family Policy and Research and Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Missouri. He has received awards for scholarship from the International Association for Relationship Research, the National Council on Family Relations, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

'Focusing on the 'sine qua non' of relationships, this volume is a must-read for anyone interested in the who, what, when, why, and how of maintaining relationships. Leading researchers from a diverse range of fields expertly review the latest theories and research, address provocative questions, and provide agendas for future research.' Rene M. Dailey, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, University of Texas, Austin 'The editors have assembled an impressive collection of premier scholars of relationship science to explicate a broad range of issues and topics in what is perhaps the most vital of all relationship processes. This book is a vital resource for students, researchers, and clinicians looking into relationship maintenance and its coming of age.' Chris Segrin, Professor and Head of the Department of Communication, University of Arizona 'Understanding why couples stay together may be the key to helping adults and children reach their full potential because positive and stable relationships benefit everyone. This is an invaluable volume for students, and senior researchers are sure to be inspired by its depth and breadth.' Claire Kamp Dush, Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science, Ohio State University 'It is obvious that humans are fascinated by the beginnings and endings of relationships, but so much of what matters lies in the dynamics of relationship maintenance. Research exists, but this topic is rarely given center stage. The editors draw together an abundance of scholars to review how couples 'keep it goin' on'.' Scott Stanley, Research Professor of Psychology and Co-Director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies, University of Denver 'This interdisciplinary volume edited by Ogolsky (Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) and Monk (Univ. or Missouri) provides an important, up-to-date account of the theoretical and research traditions that explain the processes and context used to preserve romantic relationships ... Focusing on recent research and written by acknowledged experts in the field, this ably constructed, well-organized review and critique is a must for any academic library serving scholars and clinicians working in this area of social psychology.' K. M. McKinley, Choice