Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Conceptualizing relational communication: definitions, principles, and relational messages -- Communicating identity: the social self -- Drawing people together: forces of social attraction -- Making sense of our world: coping with uncertainty and expectancy violations -- Getting closer: initiating and intensifying relationships -- Making a love connection: styles of love and attachment -- Communicating sexually: the closest physical encounter -- Communicating closeness: intimacy, affection, and social support -- Staying close: maintaining intimate relationships -- Getting a fair deal: interdependence and equity -- Playing with power: dominance and influence in relationships -- Getting too close for comfort: privacy and secrets in relationships -- Hurting the ones we love: relational transgressions -- Coping with conflict: when relational partners disagree -- Ending relationships: disengagement and termination.