The major purpose of this study was to test Erik Erikson's epigenetic concept that the achievement of a reasonable sense of ego identity during adolescence is a prerequisite to the establishment of intimate relationships in adulthood. The sample consisted of 400 couples. Their names were drawn from a population of 1600 names which had been compiled from twelve church directories. The adjusted sample was 378 couples of which 88 chose to participate by returning completed questionnaires. The participants were typically white, well educated, well employed, in first marriages and fairly consistent in religious attendance. The project questionnaire was completed by both marital partners. It consisted of two scales and demographic questions. The Ego Identity Scale as developed by Rasmussen (1961) was used to measure the degree of identity obtained by all participants. The Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships as developed by Olson and Schaefer (1981) was used to measure the degree of perceived intimacy on five dimensions within dyadic relationships. The hypotheses tested were designed to examine Erikson's epigenetic theory. Briefly, it was hypothesized that (1) spouses would have similar levels of ego identity development; (2) the identity of one spouse would be related to the intimacy of the other; (3) an individual's ego identity would be related to his/her achieved intimacy; and (4) demographic variables would not be found to influence ego identity. Husband and wife models were also compared. The ego identity scores of spouses were found to be related; no relationship was found between the ego identity of one spouse and the perceived intimacy of the mate; a significant relationship was found to exist between an individual's degree of ego identity development and his/her perceived level of intimacy across five intimacy dimensions; and demographic variables were not found to influence ego identity development. Interesting similarities and differences were found between husband and wife models. Generally, results reinforced Erikson's epigenetic concept. Further research was suggested to differentiate between male and female models and to assess the effectiveness of various therapeutic interventions by levels of couple identity development. / Ph. D.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Intimate and satisfying relationships in adolescence are connected to mental health and well-being and have significant implications for adolescent psychosocial development. Despite the benefits of romantic involvement, research into adolescents’ experiences within their romantic relationships is limited. Few studies on adolescent intimacy experiences, especially those leading to conceptualizations of intimacy, have been undertaken. The majority of studies that have been conducted on adolescents’ intimacy experiences have been conducted in White, Euro-American, middle-class samples, using quantitative methodology and researchers’ definitions of the construct. In South Africa adolescent romantic relationships are often studied because of their links with pressing social issues, such as teenage pregnancy, intimate partner violence and risky sexual behaviour and HIV/AIDS, rather than for the value of understanding the relationships themselves. The resultant negative constructions of adolescent romance in research literature serve to continue the narrow scope of inquiry into adolescent intimate relationships and also limit the ability of professionals and care-givers to respond to the relationship challenges of South African youth. The present study was aimed at addressing some of the limitations of previous research on adolescent romantic relationship experiences, with a particular focus on intimacy. Coloured adolescents from a low-income, semi-rural community in the Western Cape were selected as participants for the inquiry due to the overwhelming lack of knowledge about the constructions of intimacy in this group. Social constructionism was used as a theoretical framework to ground and inform the study. The research objective was to develop an understanding of the constructions and experiences of intimacy of middle adolescents within the specific target community. A social constructionist grounded theory method was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 young men and women. The social constructionist grounded theory analysis indicated that participants appeared to strive toward having ideal relationships as portrayed in the Western popular media. Participants’ constructions of intimacy centred on behaviour rather than on abstract, emotional experience, Their relationship experiences and behaviours reflected discourses of gendered romantic relationship interaction, with boys emphasizing commitment and girls focusing on “doing emotion work” as pathways to experiencing and expressing intimacy. The researcher raises the possibility that adolescent boy’s and girl’s striving toward ideal Western relationships, media and peer reinforcement of these ideal relationships and adolescents’ specific developmental cognitive limitations may limit their capacity for knowing themselves and their partners in their romantic relationships and contribute to inauthenticity in romantic relationships. As Western mainstream intimacy discourses stress the importance of self and partner knowledge, as well as authenticity in romantic relationships, these discourses therefore make it difficult to recognize and validate adolescents’ intimacy experiences. In fact these discourses imply that adolescents have a limited ability to experience intimacy. The researcher argues that by situating intimacy in the context of behaviours rather than emotional experience, understandings of intimacy can move beyond the essentialist depictions of what is and is not intimate, thus allowing for a range of behaviours to count as intimate, broadening the possibilities for conceptualizing and acknowledging intimacy. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Intieme en bevredigende verhoudings in adolessensie is verbind aan geestelike gesondheid en welsyn en het beduidende implikasies vir die adolessent se psigososiale ontwikkeling Ten spyte hiervan, is navorsingoor adolessentese ervaringsin hulromantiese verhoudingsbeperk. Minstudies ooradolessenteintimiteit, veral dié wat lei totbegrippevanintimiteit, isonderneem.Diemeerderheid van studiesooradolessente seintimiteitservaringsis uitgevoer inWit,Euro-Amerikaanse, middelklas steekproewe. In Suid-Afrika word adolessente se romantiese verhoudings dikwels bestudeervanweehul assosiasie met dreigende sosiale kwessies soos tienerswangerskappe, intieme maatgeweld, riskante seksuele gedrag en MIV/VIGS, eerder as vir die waarde van die begrip van die verhoudings self. Die gevolglike negatiewe konstruksies van adolessente se romantiese betrokkenheid dra by tot die beperkte fokus en omvang van ondersoekeoor adolessente se romantiese verhoudings, en ook die beperkte vermoë van professionele mense en versorgers om te reageer op die verhoudingsuitdagings van die Suid-Afrikaanse jeug te beperk. Die huidige studie was daarop gemik om van die beperkings van vorige navorsing oor adolessente se romantiese verhoudingservarings, met 'n besondere fokus op intimiteit, aan te spreek. Kleurling adolessente van 'n semi-landelike gemeenskap in die Wes Kaap is gekies as deelnemers as gevolg van die oorweldigende gebrek aan kennis oor die konstruksie van intimiteit in hierdie groep. ‘nSosiaal-konstruktionistiese raamwerk is gebruik om die studie te begrond en te rig. Die navorsingsdoelwit was om 'n begrip van die ervarings van intimiteit van middel-adolessente binne die spesifieke teikengemeenskap te ontwikkel. Hierdie doel is bereik deur gebruik te maak van 'n sosiaal-konstruksionistiese gegrondeteoriemetode.In-diepte onderhoude is gevoer met 20 adolessente mans en vrouens. Die sosiaal konstruktionistiese gegronde teorie analise het aangedui dat deelnemers se konstruksies van intimiteit gedrag eerder as emosionele ervaring in hul intimiteitsvertellings beklemtoon het. Hul verhouding ervarings en gedrag weerspieël diskoerse van geslagtelike romantiese verhoudinginteraksie met seuns wattoewyding en meisies wat die "doen van emosie werk" beklemtoon as roetes na intimiteit. Deelnemers blyk om te streef na ideale verhoudings soos uitgebeeld is in die Wes-populêre media, duer ‘n behoefte om in te pas en aanvaar te word deur hul eweknieë. Hierdie proses kan deelnemers lei om op te tree en hulle gedagtes oor romantiese verhoudings uit te spreek in ooreenstemming met wat algemeen aanvaar word binne hul portuurgroep, eerder as in die maniere wat hulle eie oortuigings, begrip en begeertes weerspieël. Hierdie proses lei tot 'n beperkte kennis en bewustheid van die self as' n romantiese vennoot sowel as 'n neiging tot onoutentieke grdrag in romantiese verhoudings. Hierdie beperkte self-bewustheid en onoutentieke gedrag inhibeer dan adolessente se vermoë om intimiteit te ervaar wanneer dit volgens die hoofstroom konstruksies daarvan beskou is. Die bevindinge dui op die behoefte aan die gebruik van breër definisies van intimiteit in die oorweging van adolessente romantiese verhoudings, die bou van alternatiewe diskoerse van intimiteit en‘n verhoging van leiding deur volwassenes ten opsigte vanadoloesente se romantiese verhoudings Sekere beperkings van die huidige navorsing het ook verwys na 'n behoefte aan meer navorsing oor die invloed van' n wyer kontekstuele faktore in adolessente se konstruksies van intimiteit.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigated the correlation between sexual beliefs, as well as the interpersonal perception of sexual beliefs within a marriage, and the dyadic adjustment and sexual satisfaction. Participants were 38 couples, married less than 10 years. Each participant completed the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Index of Sexual Satisfaction and the Sexual Irrationality Questionnaire. Each participant was also requested to complete the latter questionnaire as he/she would expect hislher partner to complete it. A significant relationship was found between sexual satisfaction and dyadic adjustment, as well as between spouses' sexual beliefs and their perceptions of their partners' sexual beliefs. No support was found for the hypotheses that the interpersonal perception of sexual beliefs would correlate with either sexual satisfaction or marital adjustment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie is die verband tussen seksuele kognisies, sowel as die interpersoonlike persepsie van seksuele kognisies binne huweliksverband, en huweliksaanpassing en seksuele satisfaksie nagegaan. Deelnemers aan die ondersoek was 38 pare wat korter as 10 jaar getroud was. Hulle het elkeen die Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Index of Sexual Satisfaction en die Sexual Irrationality Questionnaire voltooi. Elke deelnemer moes laasgenoemde vraelys ook voltooi soos hy/sy verwag het sy/haar huweliksmaat dit sou voltooi. 'n Beduidende verband is tussen seksuele satisfaksie en huweliksaanpassing gevind, asook tussen egliede se eie seksuele kognisies en hulle beoordelings van hulle huweliksmaats se seksuele kognisies. Geen ondersteuning kon in die hipotese gevind word aan die interpersoonlike persepsie van seksuele kognisies met óf seksuele satisfaksie óf huweliksaanpassing verband sou hou nie.

A major concern many counselor trainees face when preparing to see their first couple-client is that of confidence because they have had little to no experience in interacting in a professional capacity with couples. Many beginning counselors experience anxiety, which can inhibit their effectiveness with clients (Scanlon & Baille, 1994). Introducing counselor trainees to a relatively non-threatening interaction with couples might reduce the initial anxiety that characterizes the neophyte counselor venturing into new clinical territory. The interaction may also enhance feelings of warmth and closeness of the couples. John Gottman's Oral History Interview (Gottman, 1999) was the protocol used in the interaction between trainee and couple. An instrument developed for this study to measure couple counseling confidence, the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (Spielberger, 1983), and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (Schaefer & Olson, 1981) were used to assess levels of counselor confidence, counselor anxiety, and couple intimacy, respectively. The confidence instrument and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered to 37 students who were enrolled in four graduate level introductory couple counseling classes and who interviewed couples, as well as to 34 counselor-trainees who were enrolled in five graduate level counseling courses other than couple counseling and who did not interview couples. Analyses of the quantitative data revealed no statistically significant differences in confidence between trainees who interviewed a couple and trainees who did not interview a couple. Analyses of qualitative data suggested there were differences. The Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships was administered to 67 individual couple participants who were interviewed by counselor trainees, and 35 individual couple participants who were not interviewed by counselor-trainees. Analyses of the quantitative data revealed no statistically significant differences in couples who participated in the Oral History Interview and those who did not. Analyses of qualitative data suggested there were differences. Regarding both counselor confidence and couple intimacy, future research using a larger sample size and more refined quantitative methods appears warranted.

Difficulties developing and maintaining intimate relationships are often attributed to adult children of alcoholics (ACAs). However, the focus of the literature has been on those obtaining psychological treatment and has primarily involved clinical impressions. The purpose of this study was to examine intimacy in the close friendships and love relationships of ACAs. Autonomy and intimacy in respondents' families of origin were also analyzed. Comparisons were made between ACAs currently in (n = 59) and not in (n = 53) therapy, and comparisons who had (n = 48) and had not (n = 77) received therapy. Alcoholics were eliminated. It was hypothesized that ACAs would score significantly lower than comparisons on love and friendship intimacy and autonomy and intimacy in their families of origin. Among the ACAs, those in therapy would score lower than those not in therapy. Hypotheses were tested using MANOVAS. ANOVAs were administered where there were significant differences, and Newman-Keuls contrasts further delineated the divergence. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to obtain explanatory data. The two ACA groups seem to represent distinct populations with those not in therapy failing to report intimacy differences previously ascribed to them. While all of the groups were similar in friendship closeness, only the ACAs in therapy had significantly less intimacy in love relationships. Furthermore, clinical ACAs differed from the other groups by having less family of origin health, more physical and sexual abuse, more maternal drinking, more depression, and more suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Family of origin health predicted intimacy in a love relationship. Family characteristics encompassing honesty, empathy and respect, which may or may not involve alcoholism, seemed to create an atmosphere of faulty parenting in the ACA clinical group which may have subsequently affected the child's intimacy in a love relationship. Results of the study support a developmental model and demonstrate the importance of including nonclinical ACAs as well as clinical comparisons in future research.

Path models assessed different models of influential order for parental bonding; adult romantic attachment; views of self, world/others, and the future; the fear of intimacy; and cognitive distortions among child molesters and non-offending controls. Child molesters receiving sex offender treatment reported more problematic parental bonding; insecure adult romantic attachment; negative views of self, world/others, and the future; a greater fear of intimacy, and more cognitive distortions regarding adult-child sex. The predicted path models were not established as the models did not adequately fit the data. However, post hoc logistic regressions indicated that Maternal Optimal Bonding, Preoccupied attachment, and cognitive distortions regarding adult-child sex significantly predicted child molester status. Overall, the findings provide support for a multi-factorial model of child molestation derived from attachment theory. Limitations of the study and areas for future research are also discussed.

M.A. / Of late there has been an accelerated impetus in the study of marriage and its associated issues. A veritable deluge of research articles are regularly devoted to the topic, for example Hatfield and Sprecher (1986); Fincham and Bradbury (1987); Dion and Dion (1993); Kamo (1993). There has also been some recent South African research on marriage and mate selection, particularly Crous and Pretorius (1994). New books appear with striking regularity while instruments to measure aspects of relationships are readily available. These include Hendrick and Hendrick's Love Attitude Scale, Spanier's Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Rubin's Love Scale (Tzeng, 1993). Relationships, love and marriage are becoming increasingly measurable and as more questions become answered, researchers are able to unravel some of the complexity within the field. Adams (1988) looks back at fifty years of family research to discover that it has become increasingly scientific despite dealing with so-called "soft" variables like adjustment and attitudes. When even more elusive constructs like satisfaction, contentment and love are introduced, social scientists find that the terrain might be uncomfortably abstract. However, it is anticipated that as this domain, once only the estate of poets and philosophers becomes steadily more understood, it will bear fruit by answering questions which can then be profitably applied in many couplecounselling situations. The concepts of mate selection, marriage and familial stability are at the heart of societal functioning. There are a myriad of variables that impact on these constructs, as is evident from Surra's (1990) decade review. Recent research has shed some light, albeit theoretical, on the reasons why two people form a marital dyad. Social scientists are thus slowly building a solid mass of knowledge relating to the entire process of how and why a couple eventually exist. This goes hand in hand with contemporary urgency, for the accelerating forces of career, sociological, psychological and economic pressures play havoc with older traditional values of stability and permanence in all these domains. Soaring divorce rates are only one symptom of couples and individuals buckling under these tremendous pressures. Clearly, whatever can be done to better understand the choices individuals make in forming marital dyads, can only be regarded as useful information. In the South African context, this type of research is similarly required. With the wealth of family and marriage research being done abroad, it is important to know if this information applies to South African couples. Thus the primary motivation for the study is to better understand the way South Africans love. Lee's (1976) treatise is widely accepted as a valuable model of love. To date no work appears to have been done using this model in South Africa. The aims of this study thus are: To determine if there is any relationship between the various lovestyles and marital satisfaction for a South African sample. To examine several contemporary models of love.

Loneliness – the feeling that manifests when one perceives one’s social needs are not being met by the quantity or especially the quality of one’s social relationships – is a common but typically short-lived and fairly harmless experience. However, recent research continues to uncover a variety of alarming health effects associated with longterm loneliness. The present study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying how persons scoring high in trait loneliness perceive their social environments. Evaluations of transient facial expression morphs are analyzed in R using dynamical systems methods. We hypothesize that, consistent with Cacioppo and Hawkley’s sociocognitive model, subjects scoring high in loneliness will exhibit hypervigilance in their evaluations of cold and neutral emotions and hypovigilance in their evaluations of warm emotions. Results partially support the socio-cognitive model but point to a relationship between loneliness and a global dampening in evaluations of emotions. Keywords: loneliness, perceived social isolation, social dynamics, emotion recognition. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study examined the relationships of adult attachment, locus of control, and fear of intimacy between adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and non adult children of alcoholics (NACOAs). A convenience sample of 224 participants, specifically 108 ACOAs and 116 NACOAs, completed the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised Questionnaire (ECR-R), Rotter's Locus of Control Scale (LOC), and the Fear of Intimacy Scale (FIS). Participants were drawn from self-help groups, gatherings, and a health fair held in Palm Beach County, Florida. Data were analyzed utilizing multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), series of analyses of variance (ANOVA), stepwise regression analyses, discriminant function analysis, in addition to correlational analyses. ... ACOAs demonstrated insecure, fearful avoidant attachment patterns, an external locus of control, and greater fear of intimacy. In contrast, NACOAs exhibited secure adult attachment, an internal locus of control, and lower fear of intimacy. This study lends empirical support to clinical practice pertaining to the constructs of adult attachment, locus of control, and fear of intimacy in ACOAs and NACOAs. / by Raffaela Peter. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Chan Ching. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 48-54). / Abstract in English and Chinese. / List of Tables --- p.v / Chapter CHAPTER 1: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Two dimensions and four-group model of adult attachment --- p.2 / Attachment to father and gender differences --- p.5 / Attachment and psychological adjustments and relationship outcomes --- p.8 / Relationship outcomes --- p.9 / Psychological well-being --- p.10 / Chapter CHAPTER 2: --- METHOD --- p.13 / Participants --- p.13 / Measures --- p.13 / Attachment --- p.14 / Relationship quality measurements --- p.15 / Psychological well-being --- p.16 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- RESULTS --- p.18 / Prediction of Adult Romantic Attachment --- p.18 / Prediction of Anxiety Dimension --- p.20 / Prediction of Avoidance Dimension --- p.25 / Using Attachment Dimensions to Predict Outcomes --- p.30 / Conflict --- p.32 / Commitment --- p.32 / Relationship Satisfaction --- p.32 / Depression --- p.33 / Life Satisfaction --- p.33 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- DISCUSSION --- p.37 / Parental attachment as predictors for adult romantic attachment --- p.37 / Relationships of Attachment Dimensions and Outcomes --- p.41 / Future Studies --- p.46 / References --- p.48 / Appendix --- p.55