Despite considerable attention devoted to theory and research on close relationships, the construct of dyadic closeness has remained vague. This article attempts to clarify the concept of closeness in couple relationships and presents a conceptual model of “dyadic closeness.” Qualitative analysis of detailed interviews indicates that dyadic closeness is perceived as a whole, indivisible, and rewarding experience. It may be conceptualized by three major distinctions: A relatively stable relationship trait versus a fluctuating situational state; emotional versus physical closeness; and the constructed meanings of closeness versus its expressions.
Aron, A., & Aron, E.N. (1986). Love as the expansion of self: Understanding attraction and satisfaction. New York: Hemisphere .
2.
Aron, A., Aron, E.N., & Smollan, D. (1992). Inclusion of other in the self scale and the structure of interpersonal closeness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 596—612.
3.
Aron, A., & Fraley, B. (1999). Relationship closeness as including other in the self: Cognitive underpinnings and measures. Social Cognition , 17, 140—160.
4.
Aron, A., Mashek, D.J., & Aron, E.N. (2004). Closeness as including other in the self. In D. J. Mashek & A. Aron (Eds.), Handbook of closeness and intimacy (pp. 27—41). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
5.
Baxter, L.A. (1988). A dialectical perspective on communication strategies in relationship development. In S. Duck (Ed.), Handbook of personal relationships (pp. 257—273). New York: Wiley.
6.
Baxter, L.A. (1990). Dialectical contradictions in relationship development . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 7, 69—88.
7.
Baxter, L.A., & Montgomery, B.M. (1996). Relating: Dialogues and dialectics. New York: Guilford.
8.
Baxter, L.A., & Simon, E.P. (1993). Relationship maintenance strategies and dialectical contradictions in personal relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 10, 225—242.
9.
Berscheid, E., Snyder, M., & Omoto, A. (1989). The relationship closeness inventory: Assessing the closeness of interpersonal relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 792—807.
10.
Birtchnell, J. (1993). How humans relate: A new interpersonal theory . London: Praeger.
11.
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss, Volume 1. Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
12.
Bowlby, J. (1988). Secure base: Clinical applications of attachment theory. London: Routledge.
13.
Christensen, A., & Heavey, C.L. (1990). Gender, power, and marital conflict. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 73—85.
14.
Clark, M.S., & Mills, J.R. (1993). The difference between communal and exchange relationships: What it is and is not. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 19, 684—691.
15.
Cramer, D., & Donachie, M. (1999). Psychological health and change in closeness in platonic and romantic relationships. Journal of Social Psychology , 139, 762—767.
16.
Creswell, J.W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
17.
Dijkstra, I.C., & Stroebe, M.S. (1998). The impact of a child's death on parents: A myth (not yet) disproved?Journal of Family Studies, 4, 159—185.
18.
Feeney, J.A. (1999). Issues of closeness and distance in dating relationships: Effects of sex and attachment style. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 571—590.
Ganong, L.H., & Coleman, M. (1988). Do mutual children cement bonds in stepfamilies?Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50, 687—698.
21.
Grote, N.K., & Frieze, I.H. (1994). The measurement of friendship-based love in intimate relationships. Personal Relationships, 1, 275—300.
22.
Harvey, J.H. (1995). Odyssey of the heart: The search for closeness, intimacy, and love. New York: W. H. Freeman.
23.
Harvey, J.H., & Weber, A.L. (2002). Odyssey of the heart: Close relationships in the 21st century. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
24.
Kantor, D., & Lehr, R. (1975). Inside the family. New York : Harper.
25.
Kelley, H.H., Berscheid, E., Christensen, A., Harvey, J.H., Huston, T.L., Levinger, G., McClintock, E., Peplau, L.A., & Peterson, D.R. (1983). Close relationships. New York: Freeman.
26.
Kendig, H.L., Coles, R., Pittelow, Y., & Wilson, S. (1988). Confidence and family structure in old age. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 43, S31—S40.
27.
Kovacs, L. (1988). A conceptualization of marital development. Family Therapy, 10, 183—210.
28.
Kreilkamp, T. (1984). Psychological closeness. American Behavioral Scientist, 27, 771—784.
29.
Kvale, S. (1996). InterViews: An introduction to qualitative research interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
30.
Lavee, Y. (2004). Couples under stress: Studying change in dyadic closeness—distance. In V. Bengtson, A. Acock, K. Allen, P. Dilworth-Anderson, & D. Klein (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods (pp. 281—283). Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
31.
Lavee, Y., & Ben-Ari, A. (2004). Emotional expression and neuroticism: Do they predict marital quality?Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 620—627.
32.
Lavee, Y., & Ben-Ari, A. (2007). Dyadic distance: From the inside story to a conceptual model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24, 645—655.
33.
Lavee, Y., & Mei-Dan, M. (2003). Patterns of change in marital relationships among parents of children with cancer. Health and Social Work, 28, 255—263.
34.
Merves-Okin, L., Amidon, E., & Bernt, F. (1991). Perception of intimacy in marriage: A study of married couples. American Journal of Family Therapy, 19, 110—118.
35.
Mills, J., Clark, M.S., Ford, T.E., & Johnson, M. (2004). Measurement of communal strength. Personal Relationships, 11, 213—230.
36.
Mills, T.L., Wakeman, M.A., & Fea, C.B. (2001). Adult grandchildren's perceptions of emotional closeness and consensus with their maternal and paternal grandparents. Journal of Family Issues, 22, 427—455.
37.
Montgomery, B. M., & Baxter, L. A. (Eds.). (1998). Dialectical approaches to studying personal relationships. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
38.
Parks, M.R., & Floyd, K. (1996). Meanings for closeness and intimacy in friendship . Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13, 85—107.
39.
Patton, M.Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
40.
Pistole, M.C. (1994). Adult attachment styles: Some thoughts on closeness—distance struggles. Family Process, 33, 147—159.
41.
Popovic, M., Milne, D., & Barrett, P. (2003). The Scale of Perceived Interpersonal Closeness (PICS). Clinical Psychology andPsychotherapy, 10, 286—301.
42.
Rawlins, W.K. (1989). A dialectical analysis of the tensions, functions and strategic challenges of communication in young adult friendships. In J. A. Anderson (Ed.), Communication yearbook 12 (pp. 157—189). Newbury Park, CA: SAGE Publications.
43.
Rawlins, W.K. (1992). Friendship matters: Communication, dialectics, and the life course. Hawthorne, NY: de Gruyter.
44.
Rokach, A. (1998). Loneliness in singlehood and marriage. Psychology: A Journal ofHuman Behavior, 35, 2—17.
45.
Surra, C.A., & Longstreth, M. (1990). Similarity of outcomes, interdependence, and conflict in dating relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59, 501—516.
46.
Tower, R.B., Kasl, S.V., & Moritz, D.J. (1997). The influence of spouse cognitive impairment on respondents' depressive symptoms: The moderating role of marital closeness. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 52B(5): S270—S278.
47.
Ward-Schofield, J. (1993). Increasing the generalisability of qualitative research. In M. Hammersley (Ed.), Social research: Philosophy, politics and practice (pp. 200—225). London: Open University/SAGE Publications.
48.
Weiss, R.S. (1991). The attachment bond in childhood and adulthood . In C. M. Parkes, J. Stevenson-Hinde, & P. Marris (Eds.), Attachment across the life cycle (pp. 66—76). London: Tavistock- Routledge .
