Cognition, Communication, and Romantic Relationships

Cognition, Communication, and Romantic Relationships focuses on the role of memory, communication, and social cognition in the development of romantic relationships. The authors review developmental models of communication and examine criticisms of these models. They also explore the stages through which relationships escalate and deteriorate, and consider the processes for such activities as meeting new people, dating, sexual intercourse, and terminating relationships. Differences between men and women are discussed throughout the text, in light of current research supporting systematic gender differences in how people think about romance and relationships. As an extended analysis and research review of how thinking about romance influences and is influenced by communicative processes, this text offers a deeper understanding of the cognitive and communicative factors involved in relationship processes. It is designed for use in courses on interpersonal relationships and intimate relations in social psychology, communication, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, and sociology.

Honeycutt, James M.; Cantrill, James G.

Contents: Overview. The Modern-Day Pursuit of Intimacy and Relational Memory Structures. Schemata, Scenes, and Scripts for Romantic Relationships. Memorable Messages, Prototypes, and Relational Memory. Emotion and Cognition About Relationships. Generating and Maintaining Relationships Through Imagined Interactions. Development of Relationships: Stage Theories Versus Relational Memory Theory. Memory Structures for Developing Relationships. Memory Structures for Decaying Relationships. Semantics of Breakups: Claims of Omission and Commission. Future Research on Relational Memory Structures.