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The psychological literature has re-awakened its interest in shame. Research demonstrates that shame is negatively linked with intimacy through direct and indirect associations with intimacy fear and intimacy levels. This study explored the pathways between trait shame and perceived risk in intimacy. We hypothesised there would be an indirect relationship between shame and risk in intimacy via associations with introjective (self-definition) and anaclitic (dependent) personality orientation, identity impairment and abandonment concerns. University students (N = 501) from New Zealand and Northern Ireland completed an online survey, and path analysis was used to analyse data. Some support for the hypotheses was found, with shame being positively associated with risk in intimacy and half the magnitude of the effect operating indirectly through introjective orientation. Shame was positively associated with anaclitic personality, abandonment concerns and identity impairment, but these latter variables were not associated with risk in intimacy. Moreover, anaclitic orientation was associated with abandonment concerns and introjective orientation was associated with identity impairment. These findings extend the literature by demonstrating that shame may impact on feelings of intimacy risk directly and indirectly via introjective personality orientation. The results are consistent with research that shame has negative associations with intimacy, while also demonstrating that shame can be linked to approach behaviours via anaclitic personality orientation. This study provides further evidence of the complex nature and multifaceted effects of shame., Author(s): Chris Wu [sup.1] , Martin J. Dorahy [sup.1] , Craig M. Johnston [sup.2] , Katharina Näswall [sup.1] , Donncha Hanna [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.21006.35, 0000 0001 2179 4063, [...]

Abstract: The goal of the present study was to examine the possible links between global self-esteem and sexual self-esteem, and their links to sexual communication in relationships. It was hypothesized [...]

In the current study, we investigated the association between physical abuse in childhood (PAC) and the fear of intimacy (FOI) in partner relationships. A total of 178 people, divided into the divorced (N = 70) and the married groups (N = 108), completed the questionnaire. We were interested in the differences in the FOI in partner relationships among men and women, with PAC as well as no PAC. We investigated these differences within both groups as well as between the two groups. There was a higher FOI among individuals with PAC. There was also a higher FOI among divorced persons with PAC than among married persons with PAC. In view of the two groups, the divorced group has a higher FOI than the married group. In general, the study showed that men with PAC have a higher FOI than women with PAC. doi:10.1300/J087v46n03_04 KEYWORDS, Fear of intimacy, physical abuse in childhood, relational family theory, divorce

Interest in forgiveness has exploded in recent years as researchers and clinicians have begun to recognize its value for maintaining emotional well-being, physical health, and healthy intimate relationships. Forgiveness appears to be especially important in the marital relationship. This article offers an overview of forgiveness in marriage including a review of major research and clinical efforts in this area. A number of recommendations are offered for practitioners and future research directions are outlined. Marital forgiveness is seen as an exciting area for future exploration and one that is ripe with possibility. Key Words: couple therapy, forgiveness, intimate relationships, marriage.

Based on fieldwork among the Sa'dan Toraja of Indonesia, this article examines a specific relationship between the living and the dead. It is a relationship which is usually described in terms of intimacy. Within this intimacy, the living and the dead are described as sharing the same desires. Furthermore, as far as the living are concerned, these desires have to be expressed in words and acted out in the form of mortuary sacrifices. In this way, the living are said to remember the dead. My discussion focuses on the implications of this memory., Among the Sa'dan Toraja (1) of Indonesia, as elsewhere in insular Southeast Asia (see Fox 1987: 526), humankind is not believed to have a single origin or source of being. [...]

Many theorists agree that intimacy is a multidimensional concept consisting of several specific components: love and affection, personal validation, trust, and self-disclosure. In this investigation, the authors tried to determine if 3 popular intimacy measures actually assess these 4 components and to see if women and men differ in their experiences of intimacy. Three hundred and sixty undergraduates completed the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (Ft. S. Miller & H. M. Lefcourt, 1982), the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships Scale (M. T. Schaefer & D. H. Olson, 1981), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (C. J. Descutner & M. H. Thelen, 1991). Results of factor analyses supported the 4 specific components of intimacy. Multivariate analysis of variance results corroborated that women and men did vary in their experiences of intimacy., Throughout the ages, love has both delighted and puzzled those in its thrall. People knew how wonderful it was to be in love and in a close relationship but had [...]

An adult female sample of childhood sexual abuse survivors (n = 195) were surveyed to determine if hardiness was effective in moderating the negative effects of the perceived trauma and severity of the sexual abuse and internalized shame on relationship intimacy. The results indicated that perception of abuse, severity of abuse, and shame were significantly and negatively related to hardiness. Hardiness was found to have a significant moderating effect on the negative impact of internalized shame and severity of abuse on marital/relationship intimacy.

A daily diary study examined how chronic perceptions of a partner's regard affect how intimates interpret and respond to daily relationship stresses. Spouses each completed a diary for 21 days. Multilevel analyses revealed that people who felt less positively regarded read more into stressful events than did people who felt highly regarded, feeling more hurt on days after acute threats, such as those posed by a moody or ill-behaved partner. Intimates who felt less valued responded to feeling hurt by behaving badly toward their partner on subsequent days. In contrast, intimates who felt more valued responded to feeling hurt by drawing closer to their partner. Ironically, chronically activated needs for belongingness might lead people who are trying to find acceptance to undermine their marriage.

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term impact of experiencing parental divorce on young adult intimate relationships. Differences in intimacy levels and positive and negative communication patterns were assessed in four types of couples: those in which neither person experienced parental divorce, only the man experienced parental divorce or both people experienced parental divorce. Subjects were 136 undergraduate psychology students between the ages of 18 and 30 who have been in a relationship for at least three months. They completed questionnaires assessing intimacy and communication patterns in their current intimate relationship. Couples in which the woman experienced parental divorce reported significantly lower levels of intimacy and mutually constructive communication and higher levels of demand-withdrawal patterns and mutual avoidance of conflict. In contrast, divorce did not appear to influence intimacy and communication patterns of couples in which the young adult man experienced parental divorce. Their intimacy levels and communication patterns were not significantly different from those in couples in which neither person experienced parental divorce. Contrary to predictions, at this developmental stage there was not a compounded effect on intimacy and communication patterns when both partners experienced their parents divorce. Implications of this study, directions for future research, and limitations are discussed. KEYWORDS. Divorce and young adults, parental divorce, adolescents and dating

This study examined the relationship of type of sexually instigating situation (partner behavior conveying emotional investment or not), relationship stage, and gender to self-reported likelihood of engaging in sexual behavior. Participants (200 female and 122 male college students) read scenarios describing partner behavior in eight hypothetical sexual situations. Five of the sexual situations were proposed to explicitly communicate a sense of emotional investment in the relationship, and three other scenarios were conceived as not explicitly conveying emotional investment. Emotional investment situations were hypothesized to influence likelihood ratings as a function of imagined relationship stage (dating or in a serious relationship), manipulated across participants. Situations not conveying investment were hypothesized to influence ratings as a function of both relationship stage and gender. In large part, hypotheses were confirmed. The few exceptions were consistent with other gender-role considerations related to trust and power., The decision to engage in sexual behavior with another person is greatly influenced by the level of emotional investment and love felt for the individual (Christopher & Cate, 1985; Roche, [...]

The authors examine the psychological impact of witnessing intimate partner violence has on children and how it effects them as adults. Topics include types of violence experienced, growing-up in a dysfunctional household, and relationship of witnessing family violence and long-term mental health care problems.

This study explored the relative importance of identity and intimacy in male and female adolescent decisions. One hundred twenty adolescents responded to 16 identity/intimacy dilemmas. Females had higher identity (and lower intimacy) scores than males. Identity scores were higher in scenarios with female protagonists. A content analysis of decision explanations showed females gave more explanations than males with identity and intimacy fused. Implications for theories of psychosocial development are discussed.

Assessments of trust in intimate relationships are often based on perceptions of a partner's behaviors; however, people's own actions, increased self-awareness, and individual differences (e.g., exchange or communal orientation) may also affect their trust in their partners. Communally or exchange-oriented members of heterosexual dating couples, students in a U.S. university, displayed either trusting or irrelevant behaviors under conditions of increased self-awareness. They then completed measures of interpersonal trust. The participants' trusting behaviors significantly determined their level of trust; heightened self-awareness and a communal orientation further enhanced the participants' trust in their partners., Interpersonal trust is an essential aspect of healthy human relationships (Butler, 1986). Placing one's confidence in another person promotes many effective interactions, ranging from those between colleagues to those between [...]

Interpersonal intimacy is more difficult to achieve for American men than women. Research has shown that men disclose less, have fewer close friendships, and are viewed by their wives as low in intimacy. Among the barriers to intimacy among men, Tognoli (1980) suggested that homophobia is the most powerful. The present study tested this idea by asking men to disclose a personal secret to either a male confidant, a female confidante, or by writing the secret. It was expected that the presence of a male confidant would stimulate homophobic feelings and inhibit disclosure, while the other two conditions would result in more personal disclosure. A correlation between intimacy of disclosure and level of homophobia was also expected. Subjects were 75 heterosexual men, 31 to 50 years of age, randomly assigned to one of the three conditions. They also completed the Miller Social Intimacy Scale, the Jourard Self-Disclosure Questionnaire, the Index of Homophobia, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Results showed that homophobia was inversely related to level of social intimacy. There was some indication that homophobia does relate to less intimate disclosure to other males. Thus this study found some support for the idea that homophobia is an obstacle to intimacy for men.

18 dating couples were compared with 18 pairs of unacquainted subjects on amount of eye contact as well as time spent in gazing at one another during performance of a computer bowling game. The dating couples spent more time gazing at one another than did unacquainted couples in this task situation. Dating couples of both sexes tended to look at their partners more often than would unacquainted couples. The prediction that women would spend more time looking at the men than men would spend looking at the women was not supported.

We conducted two experiments to examine the predictions of the double standard and the evolutionary perspectives concerning the role of sexual permissiveness in desirability of partner at different levels of perceived commitment to relationship. Subjects reported their desired level of sexual permissiveness for either a low- or a high-commitment partner (Experiment 1), and evaluated the dating and the marriage desirability of either a permissive or a nonpermissive target person (Experiment 2). Females preferred low levels of sexual permissiveness for both low- and high-commitment partners, and rated permissive targets lower than nonpermissive targets on both dating and marriage desirability. Males also preferred low levels of sexual permissiveness for committed partners, and rated permissive targets lower on marriage desirability. Males, however, preferred higher levels of sexual permissiveness for low-commitment partners, and rated permissive targets higher on dating desirability. The results were consistent with both the double standard and the evolutionary perspective.

The impact of educating the young adults about intimate relationships, on their irrational beliefs, is discussed.

The predictions from the conceptualization of intimacy were examined as the outcome of an interpersonal process using the daily reports of interactions in marriage. Self-disclosure and partner disclosure both significantly and uniquely contributed to the contemporaneous prediction of intimacy and perceived partner responsiveness partially mediated the effects of self-disclosure and partner disclosure on intimacy.