Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-z2ts4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-09T10:21:47.959Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

6 - Relationship Development and Growth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2026

By
Denise Haunani Solomon ,
Michael E. Roloff  and
Kellie St.Cyr Brisini
Edited by
Anita L. Vangelisti ,
Daniel Perlman  and
Susan Sprecher
Anita L. Vangelisti
Affiliation:
University of Texas, Austin
Daniel Perlman
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Susan Sprecher
Affiliation:
Illinois State University
Get access

Summary

Relationship development and growth have long drawn the interest of relationship scholars. This chapter focuses on the theoretical frameworks that have guided inquiry. We begin by explicating the term relationship development, including different ways researchers have studied it. Traditional theories (e.g., relational dialectics, relationship stage models, social exchange, social penetration, relational turning points) are described, alongside recently developed perspectives on relationship development and growth (e.g., relational turbulence theory, the relationship trajectory framework). The chapter also discusses current research associated with the theories and how this scholarship informs our understanding of the initiation of relationships and how relationships develop over the lifespan. Special attention is paid to the development and maintenance of marginalized relationships. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research, including the need to assess the ability of current theories to describe development in different relationship contexts (e.g.., friendships, courtship, families) and in different communication contexts (e.g., online, offline).

Keywords

relationship developmentrelational stagesrelationship lifespanrelationship trajectoriesrelationship transitions

Information

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships , pp. 113 - 133
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2026

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Afifi, T. D., Merrill, A. F., & Davis, S. (2016). The theory of resilience and relational load. Personal Relationships, 23(4), 663–683. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12159CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Algoe, S. B., Kurtz, L. .E., & Grewen, K. (2017). Oxytocin and social bonds: The role of oxytocin in perceptions of romantic partners’ bonding behavior. Psychological Sciences, 28(12), 1763–1772. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617716922CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Altman, L., & Taylor, D. A. (1973). Social penetration: The development of interpersonal relationships. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.Google Scholar
Alves, H. (2018). Sharing rare attitudes attracts. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(8), 1270–1283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218766861CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Antheunis, M. L., Valkenburg, P. M., & Peter, J. (2010). Getting acquainted through social network sites: Testing a model of online uncertainty reduction and social attraction. Computers in Human Behavior, 26(1), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.07.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bangerter, L. R., & Waldron, V. R. (2014). Turning points in long distance grandparent-grandchild relationships. Journal of Aging Studies, 29(1), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2014.01.004CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baxter, A., Maxwell, J. A., Bales, K. L., Finkel, E. J., Impett, E. A., & Eastwick, P. W. (2022). Initial impressions of compatibility and mate value predict later dating and romantic interest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(45). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2206925119CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baxter, L. A. (1990). Dialectical contradictions in relationship development. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7(1), 69–88. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407590071004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baxter, L. A. (2011). Voicing relationships: A dialogic perspective. Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baxter, L. A., & Buchanan, L. (2016). Relational turning points. In Berger, C. R. & Roloff, M. E. (Eds.) and Wilson, S. R., Dillard, J. P, Caughlin, J., & Solomon, D. H. (Associate Eds.), The international encyclopedia of interpersonal communication (pp. 1443–1451). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118540190.wbeic018Google Scholar
Baxter, L. A., & Norwood, K. M. (2015). Relational dialectics theory: Navigating meaning from competing discourses. In Braithwaite, D. O. & Schrodt, P. (Eds.), Engaging theories in interpersonal communication: Multiple perspectives (2nd ed., pp. 279–292). Sage.Google Scholar
Blair, K. L., & Holmberg, D. (2008). Perceived social network support and well-being in same-sex versus mixed-sex romantic relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(5), 769–791. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407508096695CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bradley, J. M., & Hojjat, M. (2017). A model of resilience and marital satisfaction. The Journal of Social Psychology, 157(5), 588–601. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2016.1254592CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brisini, K. S., & Solomon, D. H. (2020). Relational transitions and stress: Turbulence over the lifespan of marriage. In Aloia, L., Denes, A., & Crowley, J. P. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of the physiology of interpersonal communication (pp. 97–116). Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brisini, K. S., Solomon, D. H., & Nussbaum, J. (2017). Transitions in marriage: Types, turbulence, and transition processing activities. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35(6), 831–853. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407517699283CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brisini, K. S., & Taylor, S. H. (2024). The spillover of parenting stress onto marital qualities and communication during parenting disagreements: A relational turbulence theory perspective. Journal of Family Communication, 24 (1–2), 24–38. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2023.2264264CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, J. E. (2022). Differences in satisfaction? A meta-analytic review of interracial and intraracial relationships. Marriage & Family Review, 58(2), 129–157. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2021.1937443CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, J. E., & Ogolsky, B. G. (2017). Effects of network approval on accounts of commitment trajectories in intraracial and interracial relationships. Marriage & Family Review, 53(4), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1080/01494929.2016.1184210CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brummett, E. A., & Steuber, K. R. (2015). To reveal or conceal?: Privacy management processes among interracial romantic partners. Western Journal of Communication, 79(1), 22–44. https://doi.org/10.1080/10570314.2014.943417CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bühler, J. L., Krauss, S., & Orth, U. (2021). Development of relationship satisfaction across the life span: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 147(10), 1012–1053. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000342CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carpenter, A., & Greene, K. (2016). Social penetration theory. In Berger, C. R. & Roloff, M. E. (Eds.) and Wilson, S. R., Dillard, J. P., Caughlin, J., & Solomon, D. H. (Associate Eds.), The international encyclopedia of interpersonal communication (pp. 1670–1673). John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
Carpenter, G. W. (2022). Imagine me and you, I do: Characteristics and functions of imagined interactions during online dating. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 41(3), 323–353. https://doi.org/10.1177/02762366211050644CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caselli, A. J., & Machia, L. V. (2022). The influence of perspective-taking on stress during discrimination in interracial relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(3), 692–710. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211044738CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chan, D. K., & Cheng, G. H. (2004). A comparison of offline and online friendship qualities at different stages of relationship development. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 21(3), 305–320. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407504042834CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caughlin, J. P., Huston, T. L., & Wehrman, E. C. (2018). The affective structure of marriage over time. In Vangelisti, A. L. & Perlman, D. (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (2nd ed., pp. 90–105). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316417867.009Google Scholar
Chappetta, K. C., & Barth, J. M. (2022). How gender role stereotypes affect attraction in an online dating scenario: A replication and extension. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(9), 2890–2913. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221090494 (Original work published 2022)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conley, T. D., Piemonte, J. L., & Gusakova, S. (2019). Relationship trajectories in the margins: Considerations of the structure and course of nonmonogamous relationships. Psychological Inquiry, 30(1), 43–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2019.1585733CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, K. S. (2015). Exchange: Social. In Wright, J. D. (Ed.), International encyclopedia of the social & behavioral sciences (2nd ed., pp. 482–488). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.32056-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cronin-Fisher, V., & Parcell, E. S. (2019). Making sense of dissatisfaction during the transition to motherhood through relational dialectics theory. Journal of Family Communication, 19(2), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2019.1590364CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dai, Y., & Shin, S. Y. (2022). How reading information on SNSs influences interpersonal and personal certainties about a target: The effects of information valence, information source, and positivism bias. Communication Studies, 73(5–6), 561–576. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2022.2118341CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dailey, R. M. (2020). On-again, off-again relationships: Navigating (in)stability in romantic relationships. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Dailey, R. M., Brody, N., LeFebvre, L., & Crook, B. (2013). Charting changes in commitment: Trajectories of on-again/off-again relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(8), 1020–1044. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407513480284CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dennerstein, L., Dudley, E., & Guthrie, J. (2002). Empty nest or revolving door? A prospective study of women’s quality of life in midlife during the phase of children leaving and re-entering the home. Psychological Medicine, 32(3), 545–550. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291701004810CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dominguez, J., & Hall, J. A. (2020). Examining context shifts’ effect on relationship trajectories in friendships using turning point theory. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37(6), 1892–1909. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407520909475CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Doyle, D. M., & Molix, L. (2015). Social stigma and sexual minorities’ romantic relationship functioning: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(10), 1363–1381. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167215594592CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duck, S. W. (1977). Theory and practice in interpersonal attraction. Academic Press.Google Scholar
Eastwick, P. W., Finkel, E. J., & Simpson, J. A. (2019). Relationship trajectories: A meta-theoretical framework and theoretical applications. Psychological Inquiry, 30(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047840X.2019.1577072CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eastwick, P. W., Keneski, E., Morgan, T. A., McDonald, M. A., & Huang, S. A. (2018). What do short-term and long-term relationships look like? Building the relationship coordination and strategic times (ReCAST) model. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(5), 747–781. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000428CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Estlein, R., Segel-Karpas, D., & Elran-Barak, R. (2022). Relational uncertainty, interdependence and psychological distress during COVID-19: A longitudinal study. Stress and Health, 38(5), 1029–1044. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3155CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, J. (2015). Models of relationship development. In Berger, C. & Roloff, M. (Eds.), International encyclopedia of interpersonal communication (pp. 705–708). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118540190.wbeic02Google Scholar
Fox, J., & Anderegg, C. (2014). Romantic relationship stages and social networking sites: Uncertainty reduction strategies and perceived norms on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 17(11), 685–691. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2014.0232CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, J., Osborn, J. L., & Warber, K. M. (2014). Relational dialectics and social networking sites: The role of Facebook in romantic relationship escalation, maintenance, conflict, and dissolution. Computers in Human Behavior, 35, 527–534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.02.031CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, J., Warber, K. M., & Makstaller, D. C. (2013). The role of Facebook in romantic relationship development: An exploration of Knapp’s relational stage model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(6), 771–794. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407512468370CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fugmann, D., Boeker, M., Holsteg, S., Steiner, N., Prins, J., & Karger, A. (2022). A systematic review: The effect of cancer on the divorce rate. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.828656CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillian, S. R., Holmberg, D., Jenson, K., & Blair, K. L. (2022). Back off: Disapproval of romantic relationships predicts closeness to disapproving network members. Personal Relationships, 29(3), 546–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12436CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldberg, S., Yeshua-Katz, D., & Marciano, A. (2022). Online construction of romantic relationships on social media. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(6), 1839–1862. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211067814CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haas, S. M., & Lannutti, P. J. (2022). Relationship maintenance behaviors, resilience, and relational quality in romantic relationships of LGBTQ+ people. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 11(2), 117–131. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000186CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haas, S. M., & Stafford, L. (2005). Maintenance behaviors in same-sex and marital relationships: A matched sample comparison. Journal of Family Communication, 5(1), 43–60. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327698jfc0501_3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, E. D. (2017). The process of family member marginalization: Turning points experienced by “black sheep.” Personal Relationships, 24(3), 491–512. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12196CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, J. A. (2019). How many hours does it take to make a friend? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(4), 1278–1296. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518761225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haughton, C., & Afifi, T. D. (2022). Resilience in interracial–interethnic relationships in the United States: Assessing relationship maintenance and communal orientation as protection against network stigma. Human Communication Research, 48(2), 265–291. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqab023CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huang, S. A., Ledgerwood, A., & Eastwick, P. W. (2020). How do ideal friend preferences and interaction context affect friendship formation? Evidence for a domain-general relationship initiation process. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 11(2), 226–235. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550619845925CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joel, S., Eastwick, P. W., & Finkel, E. J. (2017). Is romantic desire predictable? Machine learning applied to initial romantic attraction. Psychological Science, 28(10), 1478–1489. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617714580CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, M. P., & Leslie, L. (1982). Couple Involvement and network structure: A test of the dyadic withdrawal hypothesis. Social Psychology Quarterly, 45(1), 34–43. https://doi.org/10.2307/3033672CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, M. P., & Milardo, R. M. (1984). Network Interference in pair relationships: A social psychological recasting of Slater’s theory of social regression. Journal of Marriage and Family, 46(4), 893–899. https://doi.org/10.2307/352537CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, H. E., Theiss, J. A., & Yoon, D. B. (2023). Stress, relational turbulence, and communal coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Human Communication Research, 49(3), 260–271. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqac033CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karandashev, V., & Fata, B. (2014). Change in physical attraction in early romantic relationships. Interpersona, 8(2), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.5964/ijpr.v8i2.167CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellas, J. K., Bean, D., Cunningham, C., & Chen, K. Y. (2008). The ex-files: Trajectories, turning points, and adjustment in the development of post-dissolutional relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(1), 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407507086804CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kimberly, C., & Williams, A. (2017). Decade review of research on lesbian romantic relationship satisfaction. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 11(2), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538605.2017.1310009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knapp, M. L. (1978). Social intercourse: From greeting to goodbye. Allyn & Bacon.Google Scholar
Knobloch, L. K., McAninch, K. G., Abendschein, B., Ebata, A. T., & McGlaughlin, P. C. (2016). Relational turbulence among military couples after reunion following deployment. Personal Relationships, 23(4), 742–758. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12148CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurdek, L. A. (2008). A general model of relationship commitment: Evidence from same-sex partners. Personal Relationships, 15(3), 391–405. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2008.00205.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lannutti, P. J., & Bevan, J. L. (2022). Conclusion to the special issue: Relationships in the time of COVID-19: Examining the effects of the global pandemic on personal relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(1), 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211063536CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LeBlanc, A. J., & Frost, D. M. (2020). Couple-level minority stress and mental health among people in same-sex relationships: Extending minority stress theory. Society and Mental Health, 10(3), 276–290. https://doi.org/10.1177/2156869319884724CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LeBlanc, A. J., Frost, D. M., & Wight, R. G. (2015). Minority stress and stress proliferation among same-sex and other marginalized couples. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(1), 40–59. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12160CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lehmiller, J. J. (2011). Perceived marginalization and its association with physical and psychological health. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(4), 451–469. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407511431187CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehmiller, J. J., & Agnew, C. R. (2007). Perceived marginalization and the prediction of romantic relationship stability. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69(4), 1036–1049. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2007.00429.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lehmiller, J. J., & Konkel, K. E. (2012). Prejudice and discrimination in relational contexts. In Paludi, M. (Ed.), The psychology of love (pp. 75–87). Praeger.Google Scholar
Levinger, G. (1974). A three level approach to attraction: Toward an understanding of pair relatedness. In Huston, T. L. (Ed.), Foundations of interpersonal attraction (pp. 99–120). Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mason, A. J., & Carr, C. T. (2021). Toward a theoretical framework of relational maintenance in computer-mediated communication. Communication Theory, 32(4), 243–264. https://doi.org/10.1093/ct/qtaa035CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Montoya, R. M., & Horton, R. S. (2012). A meta-analytic investigation of the processes underlying the similarity-attraction effect. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(1), 64–94. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407512452989CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montoya, R. M., & Horton, R. S. (2020). Understanding the attraction process. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12526CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Montoya, R. M., Kershaw, C., & Prosser, J. L. (2018). A meta-analytic investigation of the relation between interpersonal attraction and enacted behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 144(7), 673–709. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bul0000148CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murstein, B. I. (1970). Stimulus value role: A theory of marital choice. Journal of Marriage and Family, 32(3), 465–481. https://doi.org/10.2307/350113CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagy, M. E., & Theiss, J. A. (2013). Applying the relational turbulence model to the empty-nest transition: Sources of relationship change, relational uncertainty, and interference from partners. Journal of Family Communication, 13(4), 280–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2013.823430CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nuru, A. K., & Wang, T. R. (2014). “She was stomping on everything that we used to think of as a family”: Communication and turning points in cohabiting (step)families. Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, 55(2), 145–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/10502556.2013.871957CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogolsky, B. G., Surra, C. A., & Monk, J. K. (2016). Pathways of commitment to wed: The development and dissolution of romantic relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 78(2), 293–310. www.jstor.org/stable/24734720CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Orben, A. C., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2017). Social media and relationship development: The effect of valence and intimacy of posts. Computers in Human Behavior, 73, 489–498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.04.006CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Park, L. E., Young, A. F., & Eastwick, P. W. (2015). (Psychological) distance makes the heart grow fonder: Effects of psychological distance and relative intelligence on men’s attractions to women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 41(11), 1459–1473. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167215599749CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pascoe, E. A., & Smart Richman, L. (2009). Perceived discrimination and health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 135(4), 531–554. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016059CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peterson, A. M., & High, A. C. (2021). Examining relationships among strategies of social information seeking on Facebook and perceived accuracy of information through warranting value and source trust. Communication Monographs, 88(1), 26–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1849753CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Philipp-Muller, A., Wallace, L. E., Sawicki, V., Patton, K. M., & Wegener, D. T. (2020). Understanding when similarity-induced affective attraction predicts willingness to affiliate: An attitude strength perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01919CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prochazkova, E., Sjak-Shie, E., Behrens, F., Lindh, D., & Kret, M. E. (2022). Physiological synchrony is associated with attraction in a blind date setting. Nature Human Behavior, 6, 269–278. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01197-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Punyanunt-Carter, N. M., & Rodriguez, N. B. (2020). An examination of equity and interdependence theory as predictors of maintenance behaviours: Interracial vs. intraracial dating relationships. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 49(6), 617–631. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2020.1815822CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramirez, A., Sunnafrank, M., & Goei, R. (2010). Predicted outcome value theory in ongoing relationships. Communication Monographs, 77(1), 27–50. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637750903514276CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reis, H. T., Collins, W. A., & Berscheid, E. (2000). The relationship context of human behavior and development. Psychological Bulletin, 126(6), 844–872. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.6.844CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reiter, M. J., & Gee, C. B. (2008). Open communication and partner support in intercultural and interfaith romantic relationships: A relational maintenance approach. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(4), 539–559. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407508090872CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenfeld, M. J., Thomas, R. J., & Hausen, S. (2019). Disintermediating your friends: How online dating in the United States displaces other ways of meeting. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(36), 17753–17758. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1908630116CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rosenthal, L., Deosaran, A., Young, D. L., & Starks, T. J. (2019). Relationship stigma and well-being among adults in interracial and same-sex relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(11–12), 3408–3428. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407518822785CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenthal, L., & Starks, T. J. (2015). Relationship stigma and relationship outcomes in interracial and same-sex relationships: Examination of sources and buffers. Journal of Family Psychology, 29(6), 818–830. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000116CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schmidt, P. J., Murphy, J. H., Haq, N., Rubinow, D. R., & Danaceau, M. A. (2004). Stressful life events, personal losses, and perimenopause-related depression. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 7, 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-003-0036-2CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharabi, L. L. (2021). Online dating profiles, first-date interactions, and the enhancement of communication satisfaction and desires for future interaction. Communication Monographs, 88(2), 131–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1766094CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharabi, L. L. (2024). The enduring effect of Internet dating: Meeting online and the road to marriage. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221127498 (advanced online publication)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharabi, L. L., & Caughlin, J. P. (2017). What predicts first date success? A longitudinal study of modality switching in online dating. Personal Relationships, 24(2), 370–391. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12188CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharabi, L. L., & Dorrance-Hall, E. (2024). The online dating effect: Where a couple meets predicts the quality of their marriage. Computers in Human Behavior, 150, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107973CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, D. H., Brinberg, M. I., Bodie, G. D., Jones, S., & Ram, N. (2023). A dynamic dyadic systems perspective on interpersonal conversation. Communication Methods and Measures, 17(4), 273–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/19312458.2023.2237404CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, D. H., Knobloch, L. K., Theiss, J. A., & McLaren, R. M. (2016). Relational turbulence theory: Explaining variation in subjective experiences and communication within romantic relationships. Human Communication Research, 42(4), 507–532. https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.12091CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solomon, D. H., & Roloff, M. E. (2018). Relationship initiation and growth. In Vangelisti, A. L. & Perlman, D. (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (2nd ed., pp. 79–89). Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Solomon, D. H., & Theiss, J. A. (2011). Relational turbulence: What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. In Cupach, W. R. and Spitzberg, B. H. (Eds.), The dark side of close relationships (2nd ed., pp. 197–216). Routledge.Google Scholar
Solomon, S., Greenberg, J., & Pyszczynski, T. (1991). A terror management theory of social behavior: The psychological functions of self-esteem and cultural worldviews. In Zanna, M. P. (Ed.), Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 24, pp. 93–159): Academic Press.Google Scholar
Song, C., Buysse, A., Zhang, W.-H., & Dewaele, A. (2022). Perceived discrimination and relationship satisfaction among same-sex couples: The role of dyadic stress and sex. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 48(6), 567–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2021.2022048CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sparks, J., Daly, C., Wilkey, B. M., Molden, D. C., Finkel, E. J., & Eastwick, P. W. (2020). Negligible evidence that people desire partners who uniquely fit their ideals. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2020.103968CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sporer, K., & Toller, P. W. (2017). Family identity disrupted by mental illness and violence: An application of relational dialectics theory. Southern Communication Journal, 82(2), 85–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2017.1302503CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sprecher, S., Wenzel, A., & Harvey, J. (Eds.) (2008). Handbook of relationship initiation. Taylor & Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429020513Google Scholar
Surra, C. A., & Hughes, D. K. (1997). Commitment processes in accounts of the development of premarital relationships. Journal of Marriage and Family, 59(1), 5–21. https://doi.org/10.2307/353658CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theiss, J. A. (2018). The experience and expression of uncertainty in close relationships. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Theiss, J. A., Estlein, R., & Weber, K. M. (2013). A longitudinal assessment of relationship characteristics that predict new parents’ relationship satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 20, 216–235. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2012.01406.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theiss, J. T., & Solomon, D. H. (2008). Parsing the mechanisms that increase relational intimacy: The effects of uncertainty amount, open communication about uncertainty, and the reduction of uncertainty. Human Communication Research, 34 (4), 625–654. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2008.00335.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Topper, P. S., & Bauermeister, J. A. (2021). Relationship timelines, dyadic interviews, and visual representations: Implementation of an adapted visual qualitative technique. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069211016708Google Scholar
Tillman, K. H., & Miller, B. (2017). The role of family relationships in the psychological wellbeing of interracially dating adolescents. Social Science Research, 65, 240–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2016.11.001CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Troy, A. B., Lewis-Smit, J., & Laurenceau, J. P. (2006). Interracial and intraracial romantic relationships: The search for differences in satisfaction, conflict, and attachment style. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 23(1), 65–80. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407506060178CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, H., Kao, G., & Joyner, K. (2006). Stability of interracial and intraracial romantic relationships among adolescents. Social Science Research, 35(2), 435–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2004.10.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, S., Zhao, M., Shi, Y., Zhang, M., Ying, J., Li, H., Li, Y., Xing, Z., Hang, H., & Sun, J. (2022). Associations of frailty, loneliness and the quality of life of empty nesters: A cross-sectional study in rural areas. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 28(4), e12947. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12947CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williamson, H. C. (2021). The development of communication behavior over the newlywed years. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(1), 11–21. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/fam0000780CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Worley, T. R., & Shelton, M. R. (2020). Work–family conflict, relational turbulence mechanisms, conflict tactics, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 48(2), 248–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2020.1735647CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yang, M., Yang, C., & Chiou, W. (2010). Differences in engaging in sexual disclosure between real life and cyberspace among adolescents: Social penetration model revisited. Current Psychology, 29, 144–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-010-9078-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoon, D. B., & Theiss, J. A. (2021). The role of identity uncertainty in predicting relational turbulence and perceived partner communication for women coping with infertility. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(3), 670–691. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211044493CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yuan, G., He, W., & Liu, G. (2022). Is mate preference recognizable based on electroencephalogram signals? Machine learning applied to initial romantic attraction. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.830820CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Accessibility standard: Inaccessible, or known limited accessibility

Why this information is here

This section outlines the accessibility features of this content - including support for screen readers, full keyboard navigation and high-contrast display options. This may not be relevant for you.

Accessibility Information

The HTML of this chapter is known to have missing or limited accessibility features. We may be reviewing its accessibility for future improvement, but final compliance is not yet assured and may be subject to legal exceptions. If you have any questions, please contact accessibility@cambridge.org.

Content Navigation

Table of contents navigation
Allows you to navigate directly to chapters, sections, or non‐text items through a linked table of contents, reducing the need for extensive scrolling.
Index navigation
Provides an interactive index, letting you go straight to where a term or subject appears in the text without manual searching.

Reading Order & Textual Equivalents

Single logical reading order
You will encounter all content (including footnotes, captions, etc.) in a clear, sequential flow, making it easier to follow with assistive tools like screen readers.
Full alternative textual descriptions
You get more than just short alt text: you have comprehensive text equivalents, transcripts, captions, or audio descriptions for substantial non‐text content, which is especially helpful for complex visuals or multimedia.
Visualised data also available as non-graphical data
You can access graphs or charts in a text or tabular format, so you are not excluded if you cannot process visual displays.

Visual Accessibility

Use of colour is not sole means of conveying information
You will still understand key ideas or prompts without relying solely on colour, which is especially helpful if you have colour vision deficiencies.
Use of high contrast between text and background colour
You benefit from high‐contrast text, which improves legibility if you have low vision or if you are reading in less‐than‐ideal lighting conditions.

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×