Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Conceptualizing relational communication : definitions and principles -- Communicating identity : the social self -- Drawing people together : forces of social attraction -- Making sense of our world : managing uncertainty and expectancy violations -- Changing relationships : stages, turning points, and dialectics -- Revealing and hiding ourselves : self-disclosure and privacy -- Communicating closeness : affection, immediacy, and social support -- Making a love connection : styles of love and attachment -- Communicating sexually : the closest physical encounter -- Staying close : maintaining relationships -- Coping with conflict : when relational partners disagree -- Influencing each other: dominance and power plays in relationships -- Hurting the ones we love : relational transgressions -- Healing the hurt: relationship repair and reconciliation -- Ending relationships : disengagement and termination -- References -- Author index -- Subject index -- About the authors.