Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

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An evolutionary model of long-term romantic relationship termination is proposed. According to the model, relationship termination is the functional output of psychological mechanisms evolved to solve adaptive problems faced by humans over evolutionary history. To the extent that men and women have faced similar adaptive problems in romantic relationships, their psychologies of romantic relationship termination are expected to be similar. To the extent that these adaptive problems have differed, their psychologies of relationship termination are expected to differ. Consequently, men and women are hypothesized to have evolved similar, but distinct psychological mechanisms that underlie the decision rules in the termination of long-term romantic relationships. Specific hypotheses and predictions about the contexts and tactics of relationship termination have been derived from this perspective, including: 1) a greater sensitivity in men than in women to declines in their long-term mate's physical attractiveness; 2) a greater sensitivity in women than in men to declines in their long-term mate's investment of resources in them. To test these and other hypotheses about functional design in the psychological mechanisms underlying mating relationship termination several studies were conducted to investigate: 1) perceptions regarding the contexts in which men and women are likely to terminate romantic relationships; 2) perceptions regarding the tactics men and women employ to terminate romantic relationships; 3) thoughts of relationship termination; and 4) personal accounts of relationship termination. Men were judged more sensitive than women to decreases in their long-term mate's physical attractiveness, but did not differ from women in reporting decreased physical attractiveness as a cause of relationship termination. Women were judged more sensitive than men to a partner the decreasing investment of resources in them and reported decreased investment more frequently as a cause of relationship termination. Because several tests of the hypotheses described in this dissertation were disconfirmed, the results should be interpreted with caution. / text

This study investigated Gollwitzer's mindset theory in the context of romantic relationships. One-hundred and sixty-eight students involved in a dating relationship were asked either to deliberate about or to think of implementing a goal not related to their relationship (e.g., finding a summer job) or a goal related to their relationship (e.g., moving in with their romantic partner). All participants subsequently completed assessments of current affect, perceptions of partner and of optimism for the future of the relationship. In line with Taylor and Gollwitzer (1995), thinking about implementing a decided goal not related to the relationship was found to increase positive affect and relationship illusions compared to non-relationship goal deliberation. In contrast, among those in the relationship mindset conditions, deliberation was found to elicit greater relationship illusions compared to goal implementation. These results help to delineate between effects of relationship specific and non relationship specific mindsets on relationship appraisals.

The thesis describes a program of research that investigated whether women's perceptions of intergroup conflict between men and women impact upon their interpersonal relationships with men. A series of three studies focus on two groups of women: women who perceive a high amount of gender-based discrimination and women who perceive relatively little gender-based discrimination. Unexpectedly, despite significant differences between the two groups in terms of their social indentities as women and their gender ideologies, there were no differences between them with respect to the nature and extent of their work, platonic, and intimate relationships with men. Two psychological mechanisms that may enable a woman to prevent perceptions of intergroup discrimination from impacting upon her intimate relationships are examined: the exceptional case and dissociative mechanisms. Although no support was found for the dissociative mechanism, strong support was found for the exceptional case mechanism. Women who perceive a high amount of discrimination, compared to those who perceived relatively little, are more likely to view their partners as exceptional in terms of their support of women's issues. Moreover, it was demonstrated in Study 3 that the male partners of these women are actually exceptional in terms of their support, as well as their negotiation, of women's issues.

Thesis (doctoral)--Göteborgs universitet, 1993. / "Anamma facklitteratur"--Cover. Extra t.p. with thesis statement and English abstract inserted. Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references (p. 210-216).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 249 p. Includes abstract.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 49 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 32-38).

Thesis (M.A.) English--University of Central Oklahoma, 2008.

Thesis (M.A.)--Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1997. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-131).