Intimacy and Positive Psychology (2025)

Positive Psychology of Love

M. Hojjat (ed.), Duncan Cramer (ed.)

Published online:

26 September 2013

Published in print:

13 June 2013

Online ISBN:

9780199345199

Print ISBN:

9780199791064

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Positive Psychology of Love

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Karen J. Prager,

Karen J. Prager

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Forouz K. Shirvani,

Forouz K. Shirvani

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Jennifer J. Garcia,

Jennifer J. Garcia

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Minnotis Coles

Minnotis Coles

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Pages

16–29

  • Published:

    June 2013

Cite

Prager, Karen J., and others, 'Intimacy and Positive Psychology', in M. Hojjat, and Duncan Cramer (eds), Positive Psychology of Love, Series in Positive Psychology (2013; online edn, Oxford Academic, 26 Sept. 2013), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199791064.003.0002, accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

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Abstract

The chapter offers an interactional definition of intimacy, and touches on the voluminous literature that demonstrates intimacy’s salubrious effects on individuals and their relationships. Beginning with the individual, it reveals the important short-term benefits of intimate interactions with a caring partner. It continues with brief reviews of intimacy’s effects on individual health and well-being, positive emotion, and self-esteem. Within the close relationship, intimacy is associated with satisfaction, security, and stability, and there are new findings indicating that intimacy prevents divorce, even in the presence of frequent marital conflict. It next reveals the impact of positive individual characteristics on intimate relating both concurrently and longitudinally. It concludes with an exploration of gender-related patterns in intimate relating.

Keywords: intimacy, closeness, well-being, gender, self-disclosure

Subject

Developmental Psychology Social Psychology

Collection: Oxford Scholarship Online

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