The Science of Intimate Relationships

The Science of Intimate Relationships represents the first full-blooded interdisciplinary approach to the hard science behind the nature of human sexual relationships. In this elegantly written new text, an international team of authors led by the acclaimed relationship expert Garth Fletcher present and integrate the latest findings in the fields of social psychology, evolutionary psychology, life-history theory, human sexuality, neuroscience and biology, developmental psychology, anthropology, and clinical psychology. Through erudite and balanced analyses, the authors shed new light on the complex links among human nature, culture, and intimate relationships, as well as outlining related controversies.

Topics covered include intimate relationships in terms of both mind and body; bonding from infancy to adulthood; selecting mates; love; communication and interaction; sex; passion; relationship dissolution; violence; and mind-reading. While highlighting recent advances in the field, the text maintains a careful balance between scientific rigor and an engaging, reader-friendly approach. The Science of Intimate Relationships offers a wealth of thought-provoking insights into the science behind the initiation, maintenance, and termination of sexual relationships.