The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships

The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships serves as a benchmark of the current state of scholarship in this dynamic field synthesizing the extant theoretical and empirical literature, tracing its historical roots, and making recommendations for future directions. The volume addresses a broad range of established and emerging topics including: theoretical and methodological issues that influence the study of personal relationships; research and theory on relationship development, the nature and functions of personal relationships across the lifespan; individual differences and their influences on relationships; relationship processes such as cognition, emotion, and communication; relational qualities such as satisfaction and commitment; environmental influences on personal relationships; and maintenance and repair of relationships. The authors are experts from a variety of disciplines including several subfields of psychology, communication, family studies and sociology who have made major contributions to the understanding of relationships.

• Most up-to-date reviews, broad range of topics, deep analysis, and balanced perspectives on controversial issues • Distinguished contributors • Coherent presentation of multidisciplinary perspectives on fascinating, crucially important aspect of human existence

Contents

Part I; Part II. Foundations for Studying Relationships; Part III. Development of Relationships; Part IV. Relationships across the Lifespan; Part V. Individual Differences; Part VI. Basic Processes; Part VII. Interactive Processes; Part VIII. Threats to Relationships; Part IX. Relational Qualities; Part X. Context; Part XI. Maintenance and Repair of Relationships; Part XII. Conclusion.