The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships

With the field of personal relationships continuing to see significant growth over the past quarter century, The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships stands as a crucial benchmark of the current state of scholarship. This third edition presents new chapters addressing significant changes in techniques for studying relationships and examining recent emphases on technology and diverse relationships while also featuring a fresh analysis of current research foci and applications. By synthesizing theoretical and empirical literature, the work not only traces the discipline’s historical roots but recommends future directions, marking an important step forward in improving research and theory on personal relationships across a broad scope. Featuring contributions from internationally known experts who have significantly enhanced relationship research in multiple fields including psychology, communication, family studies, and sociology, it is an essential resource for researchers, graduate students, and practitioners alike.

Author Biography

Anita L. Vangelisti holds the Jesse H. Jones Centennial Chair in Communication at the University of Texas at Austin. She was editor of the Cambridge University Press book series on Advances in Personal Relationships and has served on the editorial boards of over a dozen scholarly journals. Vangelisti served as President and is a fellow of the International Association for Relationship Research, a fellow of the International Communication Association, and a distinguished scholar of the National Communication Association. Daniel Perlman is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He has been president of four academic associations including the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships and the International Association for Relationship Research and has been editor or co-editor of five journals including Personal Relationships, and the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Susan Sprecher is Distinguished Professor at Illinois State University in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, with a joint appointment with Psychology. She was the editor of Personal Relationships (2002–2006) and she has published over 140 articles and chapters as well as co-edited several books. She has been actively involved in various positions for the International Association for Relationship Research, including a term as President.