The research area of close relationships has developed largely over the past decade and shares many of counseling psychology's values, including a focus on relatively normal human behavior, interest in people's strengths and positive qualities, and a recognition of the importance of person-environment interaction. Close relationships research includes many topic areas, and four of these are briefly presented here: love, communication, attribution, and lesbian and gay relationships. Implications for collaboration between counseling psychologists and close relationships scholars are discussed.
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