The Intricacies of Love and Intimacy

This book explores the meaning of love and intimacy from a variety of perspectives, specifically philosophical, psychological and cultural. This volume is a focussed study on what makes them and what may break love and intimacy. Love and intimacy are central to us, is sought by almost everyone, and while we seem to know what they are, they are not easily described. The present volume includes eleven chapters which are divided into two parts. The first part describes the meaning of love, intimacy, and romantic relations, and the second highlights what may go wrong in such relationships, and why. The book explores theoretical debates and contemporary research around emotions and will be of interest to students and researchers of psychology, philosophy as well as sex, marriage and family therapists and counselors. The chapters in this book were originally published in The Journal of Psychology.

Ami Rokach is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, teaches in the Psychology Department at York University in Toronto, Canada and is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in loneliness, intimate relationship, anxiety conditions, death and dying.

Introduction: The intricacies of love and intimacy 1. The Paradox of Love: A Historical Exploration of Western Philosophical Perspectives on Love, Exclusion, and Liberatory Potential 2. Love Culturally: How Does Culture Affect Intimacy, Commitment & Love 3. Romantic Love is Not Only "Romantic": A Grounded Theory Study on Love in Romantic Relationships 4. In Defense of Moderate Romantic Curiosity and Information Avoidance: A Conceptual Outlook of Balanced Curiosity 5. Intimacy Behaviors and Relationship Satisfaction for Cohabitors: Intimate Sacrifices Are Not Always Beneficial 6. Young Love at Work: Perceived Effects of Workplace Romance among Millennial Generation Organizational Members 7. Prevalence of Sexting among Greek University Students: A Matter of Relationships? 8. Do Relationship- and Self-Oriented Deceptions Impact the Effect of Attitude Alignment on Attraction? 9. Narcissism in Romantic Relationships: Using Communal Activation to Promote Relationship Enhancing Attitudes 10. Parental Attachment, Self-Esteem, Social Problem-Solving, Intimate Partner Violence Victimization in Emerging Adulthood 11. The Role of Vulnerable and Grandiose Narcissism in Psychological Perpetrated Abuse Within Couple Relationships: The Mediating Role of Romantic Jealousy