Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

 

Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (5)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Sanderson, C. A.
Right arrow Articles by Karetsky, K. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati  
What's this?
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 19, No. 3, 317-337 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407502193002
© 2002 SAGE Publications

Intimacy Goals and Strategies of Conflict Resolution in Dating Relationships: A Mediational Analysis

Catherine A. Sanderson

Amherst College, casanderson{at}amherst.edu

Kim H. Karetsky

Amherst College

This research examined the associations among intimacy goals in dating, strategies for managing romantic conflict, and relationship satisfaction. One hundred and eighty-nine students completed a questionnaire assessing their intimacy goals and conflict resolution strategies in three distinct ways, namely responses to a general romantic conflict resolution scale, responses to specific hypothetical dating conflicts, and reactions to conflicts experienced in their own relationships. Individuals with a stronger focus on intimacy goals were more likely to engage in open discussion and compromise, show concern for their partner, and seek social support, whereas they were less likely to deny or ignore the conflict. They were also more likely to successfully resolve the conflict (e.g., maintain the relationship). Moreover, the use of open discussion and concern for one's partner mediated the association between intimacy goals and relationship satisfaction. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and applied implications of these findings.

Key Words: conflict resolution • intimacy goals • relationship satisfaction


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Pers Soc Psychol BullHome page
O. Gillath, M. Mikulincer, G. E. Birnbaum, and P. R. Shaver
When Sex Primes Love: Subliminal Sexual Priming Motivates Relationship Goal Pursuit
Pers Soc Psychol Bull, August 1, 2008; 34(8): 1057 - 1069.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Communication ResearchHome page
J. A. Theiss and D. H. Solomon
A Relational Turbulence Model of Communication About Irritations in Romantic Relationships
Communication Research, October 1, 2006; 33(5): 391 - 418.
[Abstract] [PDF]