Intimate Relationships by Rowland Miller
9th edition, 2022
ISBN13: 9781260804263
Table of Contents:
• CHAPTER 1 THE BUILDING BLOCKS of RELATIONSHIPS
• CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODS
• CHAPTER 3 ATTRACTION
• CHAPTER 4 SOCIAL COGNITION
• CHAPTER 5 COMMUNICATION
• CHAPTER 6 INTERDEPENDENCY
• CHAPTER 7 FRIENDSHIP
• CHAPTER 8 LOVE
• CHAPTER 9 SEXUALITY
• CHAPTER 10 STRESSES AND STRAINS
• CHAPTER 11 CONFLICT
• CHAPTER 12 POWER AND VIOLENCE
• CHAPTER 13 THE DISSOLUTION AND LOSS OF RELATIONSHIPS
• CHAPTER 14 MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING RELATIONSHIPS
, CHAPTER 1 THE BUILDING BLOCKS of RELATIONSHIPS
The scientific study of human relationships
The scientific study of human relationships is actually relatively recent, as love was always a topic for poets and
philosophers before recently. Relationship science really began in the 1930s as studies of friendship, courtship
and marriage began. It was really only in the 1960s and 1970s that relationship studies really took off. This was
helped by a new emphasis on laboratory research in social science. Today relationship science uses diverse
samples of people from different social categories, ages, and cultures. It examines a number of different types of
relationships, often looking at how they change over time. It looks at both the negative and positive sides of
relationships, and often follows them in their natural setting.
the first step in the scientific method: the question
The first step in the scientific method is to ask a question. Questions are often a result of personal experience
and observation, meaning that relationship researchers have the advantage of having a great deal of relevant
experience. Questions may also come from broader social problems (like the rising divorce rate), and from
previous research (as every answer creates new questions). Questions either look for a description, which would
help us develop a clearer picture of our world, or seek to establish causal connections between events to see if
they have meaningful effects. The choice made between descriptive or causal questions will often determine
which research design will be used.
Obtaining Participants
There are many ways to obtain participants for a study. A convenience sample is so named because it involves
approaching anybody available and willing to participate. A representative sample is often chosen by researchers
who want a more accurate study that can generalize to a larger overall group. A truly representative study would
need to include enough different people of one group in order to best capture reality. Most of the studies,
described in this text, have come from weird cultures: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic.
Sometimes participants from those cultures act in a different way than those from less developed cultures.
However, most of the behaviors and patterns, studied by relationship researchers, are basic enough to represent
the adult world population.
Regardless of using representative or convenience sampling, there is a problem: participants taking part in a
study may differ from individuals who don’t - volunteer bias. This bias can restrict the extent to which study
results apply to individuals who did not participate.
Research design:
Correlational Designs
Correlational research designs involve looking for a relationship between two variables. Correlations range from -
1.00 to +1.00. The larger the correlation value, the more highly related the two events are. A correlation can be
positive or negative. While a correlation study tells us that two things are related, it does not tell us why or how
they are related. Correlation does not equal causation – this is a misperception shared by many people who
ignorantly try to interpret research studies. In brief, when two variables relate, a predictable pattern exists.
Experimental Design
Experiments apply the principles of correlation in a more controlled manner. They usually involve an uncontrolled
variable and a controlled variable. A controlled variable is one that the experimenter can manipulate and
measure. They can see what happens to the uncontrolled variable when they manipulate the controlled variable,
and in that way, they can extrapolate causation. One of the main reasons experimental designs are not always
used, is that researchers can’t always control or manipulate variables they would like to study.
9th edition, 2022
ISBN13: 9781260804263
Table of Contents:
• CHAPTER 1 THE BUILDING BLOCKS of RELATIONSHIPS
• CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH METHODS
• CHAPTER 3 ATTRACTION
• CHAPTER 4 SOCIAL COGNITION
• CHAPTER 5 COMMUNICATION
• CHAPTER 6 INTERDEPENDENCY
• CHAPTER 7 FRIENDSHIP
• CHAPTER 8 LOVE
• CHAPTER 9 SEXUALITY
• CHAPTER 10 STRESSES AND STRAINS
• CHAPTER 11 CONFLICT
• CHAPTER 12 POWER AND VIOLENCE
• CHAPTER 13 THE DISSOLUTION AND LOSS OF RELATIONSHIPS
• CHAPTER 14 MAINTAINING AND REPAIRING RELATIONSHIPS
, CHAPTER 1 THE BUILDING BLOCKS of RELATIONSHIPS
The scientific study of human relationships
The scientific study of human relationships is actually relatively recent, as love was always a topic for poets and
philosophers before recently. Relationship science really began in the 1930s as studies of friendship, courtship
and marriage began. It was really only in the 1960s and 1970s that relationship studies really took off. This was
helped by a new emphasis on laboratory research in social science. Today relationship science uses diverse
samples of people from different social categories, ages, and cultures. It examines a number of different types of
relationships, often looking at how they change over time. It looks at both the negative and positive sides of
relationships, and often follows them in their natural setting.
the first step in the scientific method: the question
The first step in the scientific method is to ask a question. Questions are often a result of personal experience
and observation, meaning that relationship researchers have the advantage of having a great deal of relevant
experience. Questions may also come from broader social problems (like the rising divorce rate), and from
previous research (as every answer creates new questions). Questions either look for a description, which would
help us develop a clearer picture of our world, or seek to establish causal connections between events to see if
they have meaningful effects. The choice made between descriptive or causal questions will often determine
which research design will be used.
Obtaining Participants
There are many ways to obtain participants for a study. A convenience sample is so named because it involves
approaching anybody available and willing to participate. A representative sample is often chosen by researchers
who want a more accurate study that can generalize to a larger overall group. A truly representative study would
need to include enough different people of one group in order to best capture reality. Most of the studies,
described in this text, have come from weird cultures: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic.
Sometimes participants from those cultures act in a different way than those from less developed cultures.
However, most of the behaviors and patterns, studied by relationship researchers, are basic enough to represent
the adult world population.
Regardless of using representative or convenience sampling, there is a problem: participants taking part in a
study may differ from individuals who don’t - volunteer bias. This bias can restrict the extent to which study
results apply to individuals who did not participate.
Research design:
Correlational Designs
Correlational research designs involve looking for a relationship between two variables. Correlations range from -
1.00 to +1.00. The larger the correlation value, the more highly related the two events are. A correlation can be
positive or negative. While a correlation study tells us that two things are related, it does not tell us why or how
they are related. Correlation does not equal causation – this is a misperception shared by many people who
ignorantly try to interpret research studies. In brief, when two variables relate, a predictable pattern exists.
Experimental Design
Experiments apply the principles of correlation in a more controlled manner. They usually involve an uncontrolled
variable and a controlled variable. A controlled variable is one that the experimenter can manipulate and
measure. They can see what happens to the uncontrolled variable when they manipulate the controlled variable,
and in that way, they can extrapolate causation. One of the main reasons experimental designs are not always
used, is that researchers can’t always control or manipulate variables they would like to study.
