The Social Psychology of Personal Relationships

Book excerpt: The Social Psychology of Personal Relationships provides a concise and highly readable introduction to the major social psychological perspectives on the study of personal relationships. The contributors, all internationally recognized scholars in their respective fields, address the study of personal relationships from the following key social psychological perspectives: attachment theory evolutionary psychology interdependence relations interracial relationships self-expansion theory self-presentation theory This important text also contains an innovative chapter on how to analyze data from dyadic relationship studies, along with meta-theoretical commentaries by Ickes and Duck, and by Acitelli, Duck and West. A useful reference for professionals whose research and/or clinical practice focuses on personal relationships, this book is also intended for advanced students in the areas of social psychology, clinical and counseling psychology, communication studies, family studies and sociology courses. The Social Psychology of Personal Relationships is one of a series of paperbacks dedicated to the study and application of processes by which individuals relate to each other in social and family settings. Each book provides an expanded and up-to-date version of a section in the original Handbook of Personal Relationships (second edition) edited by Steve Duck.