Explores the latest developments in the processes underlying intimate relationships from an interdependence theory perspective.

Interdependence theory is a powerful and applicable theory that has shaped the study of interpersonal relationships for decades, providing foundational constructs and elucidating key assumptions within the burgeoning field of relationship science. Research guided by interdependence theory sheds light on the diverse phenomena within ongoing relationships, including the emergence of co-operation, trust, dependence, power, and relationship maintenance. At its core, interdependence theory pinpoints key elements of daily interactions that predict specific experiences and outcomes that people have in different situations. This handbook goes further to explain how interdependence theory continues to be used fruitfully in research, driving our current understanding of relational processes. We invite you to enter the world of interdependence and discover what top scholars across disciplines are discussing in their efforts to fully understand close, intimate relationships.

Several years ago, two of my colleagues and I had the opportunity to interview Fritz Heider-perhaps the most influential theorist in the field of social psychology (Harvey, Ickes, & Kidd, 1976). During our interview, Heider affirmed a belief that had guided his career since the 1920s, the belief that the study of human relationships is the most important task in which social scientists can engage. Although many social scientists would profess to share this belief, it is nonetheless true that the study of human relationships has been one of the most neglected tasks in the history of the social sciences-including psychology. What Heider found in the 1920s-that most psychologists acknowledged the importance of studying human relationships but at the same time tended to focus their own research on more "tractable" topics such as memory and cognition-is still very much evident in the 1980s. Even within the more specific domain of social psychology, a majority of researchers still choose to address those hybrid topics ("social cognition," "social categorization and stereotyping," "person memory," etc. ) that relate most directly to traditional areas of psychological research. Still other researchers, while choosing to study such important interpersonal phenomena as altruism, aggression, conflict, and interpersonal attraction, tend to focus so exclusively on these isolated and abstracted phenomena that they fail to provide a more inclusive view of the relationships in which these phenomena occur.

THEORIES IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Theories in Social Psychology develops a deeper, more robust understanding of the theoretical framework underlying the field. Providing rich insights into the central theories and perspectives that continue to shape the discipline, this edited volume brings together a panel of distinguished scholars to address thirteen social psychological theories relating to social cognition, social comparison, social reinforcement, and self. In-depth critical discussions examine topics including cognitive dissonance, reactance, attribution, social comparison, relative deprivation, equity, interdependency, social identity, and more. The expanded second edition fills a substantial gap in current literature by articulating the important psychological theories rather than placing emphasis on applied research. New and revised content helps students understand the construction and complexity of key theories while inspiring researchers of social behavior to reflect on their current work and consider future areas of investigation. This comprehensive resource: Identifies and discusses the theoretical perspectives and specific theories that form the foundation of the study of social psychology Features work from leading scholars including Bertram F. Malle, Paul R. Nail, Richard E. Petty, Thomas Mussweiler, Faye J. Crosby, and Miles Hewstone Helps students move from introductory concepts to multifaceted theoretical frameworks Theories in Social Psychology, Second Edition, remains the perfect textbook for academics and students wanting to study and discuss important social psychological perspectives and theories and attain a deeper understanding of the theoretical framework. “This book will be a very valuable tool for students and professionals alike who wish to learn theories in social psychology and the role they have played in the development of the discipline. It is comprehensive in its coverage and covers the theories in an objective and engaging way.” —Robert J. Sternberg, Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, Honorary Professor of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Germany “In this wonderful new edition of compilation of theories, at the core of modern social psychology, presented to us by Derek Chadee, we are given a special gift that enriches scholars, teachers and students of psychology in social and general psychology. We are treated to a clear exposition of these theories some of the research and controversy that each has generated, and are given some guidelines to new paths for future exploration of their implications. My research career has benefitted from working in the domains of dissonance, attribution, and social comparison theories, but my teaching and textbook writing has relied on all of the theories and their concepts so elegantly orchestrated here.” —Phillip G. Zimbardo, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Stanford University

An outline of how power, an inherent feature of social interactions, operates and affects close relationships.

What do we wish to know about psychotherapy and its effects? What do we already know? And what needs to be accomplished to fill the gap? These questions and more are explored in this thoroughly updated book about the current status and future directions of psychotherapy for children and adolescents. It retains a balance between practical concerns and research, reflecting many of the new approaches to children that have appeared in the past ten years. Designed to change the direction of current work, this book outlines a blueprint or model to guide future research and elaborates the ways in which therapy needs to be studied. By focusing on clinical practice and what can be changed, it offers suggestions for improvement of patient care and advises how clinical work can contribute directly and in new ways to the accumulation of knowledge. Although it discusses in detail present psychotherapy research, this book is squarely aimed at progress in the future, making it ideal for psychologists, psychiatrists, and all mental health care practitioners.

This book provides an in-depth and comprehensive summary of the psychology of close relationships, and showcases classic and contemporary theories, models, and empirical research that have been conducted in the field.