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“A comprehensive edited collection of romantic relationship research, addressing romantic love by examining the complex interplay between attachment, caregiving, and sex....This book demonstrates exceptional knowledge of the subject area and provides one of the most complete and sophisticated reviews of theoretical and empirical literature on the subject. As such, this introduction will be of great interest to graduate students and beginning attachment researchers, as well as more experienced professionals, and provides an excellent conceptual foundation regarding this literature....This book is broad in its coverage and extremely well written and organized. It provides an excellent review of the literature and demonstrates the evolution of adult attachment theory through introducing new applications of attachment theory and groundbreaking research....This book should be of great interest to graduate students, established researchers, and clinicians. It will be well suited as a textbook in a graduate level class with a focus on intimate/romantic relationships.”

—The Family Psychologist


“A book that should appear in many venues. It belongs in university libraries and also in the personal libraries of those of us who think about and study attachment, love, and human social interaction. In addition, it is a useful teaching text at the college and graduate levels, in developmental and social psychology and in any courses focused on effective presentation of research. Its reasonable price makes it accessible. It is easy to read and understand, and the discussions of research are models to be followed. Cognitive behavior therapists will find attachment theory a rich source of background understanding and this book a model of how to apply theory to practice....Dynamics of Romantic Love is a superb volume and should be read widely.”

—Child and Family Behavior Therapy


“I learned a lot from this book....For those interested in learning about the social psychology of attachment and how it relates to love, sex, or relationships, this is an important book with clinical, personality, and social psychology implications.”

—PsycCRITIQUES


“This volume provides clear evidence of how far research in adult attachment has progressed in the last 20 years. The authors reveal great depth in theorizing, creativity in the application of methodologies, and a focus on a broader range of variables than ever before. Essential reading for all serious students of adult attachment.”

—Pat Noller, PhD, School of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Queensland, Australia


“Attachment theory is changing the world of social and clinical psychology, and this volume—with its rich general understanding and its ability to offer specific insights into the territory of relationships—is a fine example of the ever-expanding horizons of attachment theory and research. The book builds on the work of Phillip Shaver, who has led the field for two decades and who offers a transforming vision of adult attachment. The reader will find conceptual clarity, descriptions of fascinating research, and clinical wisdom on every page.”

—Susan M. Johnson, EdD, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada; Distinguished Research Professor, Marital and Family Therapy Program, Alliant International University


“This outstanding volume updates and expands the groundbreaking research methodology and conceptual framework that has allowed psychologists to examine adult romantic relationships as attachments. It wasn't too long ago that this was viewed as a radical notion! With a solid understanding of attachment theory's roots in the fields of biology and evolution, the contributing authors make a significant advance by underscoring the ways in which attachment components of romantic relationships are interwoven with caregiving and sexuality. This volume offers key insights to researchers and clinicians interested in fully understanding the complexities of that 'crazy little thing called love.'”

—Jude Cassidy, PhD, Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and Professor of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park

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Table of Contents

I. Introduction

1. Attachment to Attachment Theory: A Personal Perspective on an Attachment Researcher, Gail S. Goodman

2. Attachment, Caregiving, and Sex within Romantic Relationships: A Behavioral Systems Perspective, Mario Mikulincer

II. Basic Attachment Processes in Couple Relationships

3. What Is Adult Attachment?, Cindy Hazan, Mary Campa, and Nurit Gur-Yaish

4. The Evolution of Attachment in Romantic Relationships, Claudia Chloe Brumbaugh and R. Chris Fraley

5. An Attachment Perspective on Abusive Dynamics in Intimate Relationships, Kim Bartholomew and Colleen J. Allison

6. Sex Differences in Jealousy: A Matter of Evolution or Attachment History?, Kenneth N. Levy, Kristen M. Kelly, and Ejay L. Jack

III. Interplay between the Caregiving and Attachment Systems

7. Responding to Need in Intimate Relationships: Normative Processes and Individual Differences, Nancy L. Collins, AnaMarie C. Guichard, Máire B. Ford, and Brooke C. Feeney

8. Attachment, Mental Representations of Others, and Gratitude and Forgiveness in Romantic Relationships, Mario Mikulincer, Phillip R. Shaver, and Keren Slav

9. Daily Perceptions of Conflict and Support in Romantic Relationships: The Ups and Downs of Anxiously Attached Individuals, Jeffry A. Simpson, Lorne Campbell, and Yanna J. Weisberg

IV. Attachment, Sex, and Love

10. Attachment Styles, Sex Motives, and Sexual Behavior: Evidence for Gender-Specific Expressions of Attachment Dynamics, M. Lynne Cooper, Mark Pioli, Ash Levitt, Amelia E. Talley, Lada Micheas, and Nancy L. Collins

11. How Do I Love Thee?: Implications of Attachment Theory for Understanding Same-Sex Love and Desire, Lisa M. Diamond

12. Attachment-Related Pathways to Sexual Coercion, Deborah Davis

13. How Do Sexuality and Attachment Interrelate?: Goals, Motives, and Strategies, Omri Gillath and Dory A. Schachner

V. Interfaces between Attachment Theory and Other Perspectives on Romantic Love

14. Romantic Relationships from the Perspectives of the Self-Expansion Model and Attachment Theory: Partially Overlapping Circles, Arthur Aron and Elaine N. Aron

15. Implications of Attachment Theory for Research on Intimacy, Harry T. Reis

16. Seasons of the Heart, Ellen Berscheid

17. Dynamics of Romantic Love: Comments, Questions, and Future Directions, Phillip R. Shaver

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About the Editors

Mario Mikulincer, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Provost of the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya in Israel. His research interests include attachment styles in adulthood, terror management theory, personality processes in interpersonal relationships, evolutionary psychology, human learned helplessness and depression, trauma and posttraumatic processes, coping with stress, qualitative research on emotional states, and mental rumination and self-focused attention. Dr. Mikulincer is a fellow of the American Psychological Society and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He is a recipient of Israel's EMET Prize for Art, Science, and Culture.

• All titles by Mario Mikulincer

Gail S. Goodman, PhD, obtained her doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1977, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Denver and the Université René Descartes in Paris, France. She is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Public Policy Research at the University of California, Davis, and Professor of Forensic Psychology at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her research focuses on memory development, including attachment and memory, and forensic developmental psychology. Dr. Goodman has served as president of two divisions (Division 37, Child, Youth, and Family Services; and Division 41, Psychology and Law) and one section (Child Maltreatment, in Division 37) of the American Psychological Association. She has received many awards for her research, including two Distinguished Contributions awards in 2005 from the American Psychological Association.

• All titles by Gail S. Goodman

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Contributors

Colleen J. Allison, MA, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Arthur Aron, PhD, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York

Elaine N. Aron, PhD, Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York

Kim Bartholomew, PhD, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Ellen Berscheid, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Claudia Chloe Brumbaugh, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

Mary Campa, MA, Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Lorne Campbell, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

Nancy L. Collins, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California

M. Lynne Cooper, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Deborah Davis, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada

Lisa M. Diamond, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah

Brooke C. Feeney, PhD, Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Máire B. Ford, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California

R. Chris Fraley, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois

Omri Gillath, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California

Gail S. Goodman, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California

AnaMarie C. Guichard, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California

Nurit Gur-Yaish, MA, Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Cindy Hazan, PhD, Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Ejay L. Jack, BS, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Kristen M. Kelly, PhD, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Ash Levitt, BA, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Kenneth N. Levy, PhD, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

Lada Micheas, MS, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Mario Mikulincer, PhD, Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

Mark Pioli, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Harry T. Reis, PhD, Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York

Dory A. Schachner, MA, Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California

Phillip R. Shaver, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California

Jeffry A. Simpson, PhD, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Keren Slav, MA, Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

Amelia E. Talley, MA, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Yanna J. Weisberg, MA, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Audience

Attachment researchers; students in social, developmental, and clinical psychology; mental health practitioners.

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Course Use

May serve as a text in graduate-level courses in romantic love, adult attachment, and close relationships.