Dynamics of Romantic Love

A theoretically and empirically rich exploration of universal questions, this book examines the interplay of three distinct behavioral systems involved in romantic love. This integrative volume will be of interest to both researchers and clinicians.

Mario Mikulincer, PhD, is Professor of Psychology and Academic Director of the Israel Center for Addiction and Mental Health at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His research interests include attachment processes in adulthood, terror management theory, personality processes in interpersonal relationships, evolutionary psychology, human learned helplessness and depression, trauma and posttraumatic processes, and coping with stress. Dr. Mikulincer is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He is a recipient of Israel's EMET Prize for Art, Science, and Culture and of the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research. 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.

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