Measurement of intimacy: conceptual and methodological issues of studying close relationships

Waring, Edward M.

doi:10.1017/s0033291700020882

Cited by 34 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…It is commonly related to a number of comparable concepts, such as love, closeness, self-disclosure, support, bonding, attachment, and sexuality, with the boundaries between them often considered to be continuous rather than distinct ( Prager, 1995 , Sperry, 2010 ). Although a number of definitions of the concept of intimacy exist ( Register and Henley, 1992 , Reis and Shaver, 1988 , Waring, 1985 , Wilhelm and Parker, 1988 ), in a broad sense, intimacy can be defined as a dyadic exchange that involves sharing what is personal and private ( Prager, 1995 ). It can be realized in the context of intimate interactions and relationships that encompass both verbal and non-verbal communication, as well as shared behavioral, physical, emotional, and cognitive experience ( Prager, 1995 ).…”

Section: Interpersonal Intimacy In the Digital Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Online intimacy and well-being in the digital age

Lomanowska

Guitton

2016

Internet Interventions

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Engagement in intimate social interactions and relationships has an important influence on well-being. However, recent advances in Internet and mobile communication technologies have lead to a major shift in the mode of human social interactions, raising the question of how these technologies are impacting the experience of interpersonal intimacy and its relationship with well-being. Although the study of intimacy in online social interactions is still in its early stages, there is general agreement that a form of online intimacy can be experienced in this context. However, research into the relationship between online intimacy and well-being is critically limited. Our aim is to begin to address this research void by providing an operative perspective on this emerging field. After considering the characteristics of online intimacy, its multimodal components and its caveats, we present an analysis of existing evidence for the potential impact of online intimacy on well-being. We suggest that studies thus far have focused on online social interactions in a general sense, shedding little light on how the level of intimacy in these interactions may affect well-being outcomes. We then consider findings from studies of different components of intimacy in online social interactions, specifically self-disclosure and social support, to indirectly explore the potential contribution of online intimacy to health and well-being. Based on this analysis, we propose future directions for fundamental and practical research in this important new area of investigation.

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Section: Interpersonal Intimacy In the Digital Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Online intimacy and well-being in the digital age

Lomanowska

Guitton

2016

Internet Interventions

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“…1983;WallstoneeJa/. 1983;Waring, 1985;Alloway & Bebbington, 1987;Brugha, 1990). A recent study of the attitudes and illness behaviour of low general practice attender women with psychosocial difficulties showed that low reliance upon the help of the GP was related to the availability of social support and advice through members of the immediate social networks (Murray & Corney, 1990).…”

Section: Social Supportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social problems as factors affecting medical consultation: a comparison between general practice attenders and community probands with emotional distress

1995

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SynopsisComparison between general practice attenders and community subjects with emotional distress (as measured by GHQ–12) showed that women from a general practice sample reported more social problems than those from the community. In both men and women, problems with their spouse or partner were far more likely among general practice attenders than among community probands. Furthermore, women who consulted the general practitioners could count less often on the availability of friend confidants and had more well-defined physical disorder than their community counterparts. Results from a logistic regression analysis showed that in women (but not in men) problems in the relationship with spouse or partner increased the probability of being a general practice attender more than twofold. Physical health status did not exert a significant effect either in men or in women.

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“…Five major classes of psychological variables have been implicated as risk factors for clinically significant psychological distress following major life stressors, and all are included in the present investigation: a positive personal or family psychiatric history (e.g. Weissman et al 1982;Dew et al 1990;Mai et al 1990); demographic characteristics of being younger, female, and less educated (Robins et al 1984;Dohrenwend, 1990); perceptions of low social support (Waring, 1985;Christensen et al 1989;Dew et al 1991) and experiencing losses in this domain (Brown & Harris, 1978;Finlay-Jones & Brown, 1981;Dew et al 1992); having a poor self-image (Simmons et al 1987;Brown et al 1990); and using a passive, avoidancefocused coping style rather than active, problemfocused strategies for coping with continuing health problems (Moos & Billings, 1982).…”

Section: Iimkuuucuunmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial predictors of vulnerability to distress in the year following heart transplantation

et al. 1994

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SynopsisThis study examines psychological symptomatology in a cohort of 72 heart transplant recipients followed longitudinally during their first year post-transplant. In keeping with research on other domains of life stressors and illnesses, a central study goal was to identify pre-transplant and perioperative psychosocial factors associated with increased vulnerability to, and maintenance of, elevated psychological distress levels post-transplant. Average anxiety and depression levels, but not anger–hostility symptoms, were substantially elevated in the early post-transplant period, relative to normative data. Average symptom levels improved significantly over time, although one-third of the sample continued to have high distress levels at all follow-up assessments. Recipients with any of seven psychosocial characteristics at initial interview were particularly susceptible to continued high average distress levels over time: a personal history of psychiatric disorder prior to transplant; younger age; lower social support from their primary family caregiver; exposure to recent major life events involving loss; poor self-esteem; a poor sense of mastery; and use of avoidance coping strategies to manage health problems. Recipients without such factors showed improvement in average distress levels across the assessment period. These effects were stronger for anxiety than depressive symptoms, with the exception of a sizeable relationship between loss events and subsequent depression. The findings suggest that clinical interventions designed to minimize prolonged emotional distress post-transplant need to be closely tailored to heart recipients' initial psychosocial assets and liabilities.

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Measurement of intimacy: conceptual and methodological issues of studying close relationships

Cited by 34 publications

References 20 publications

Online intimacy and well-being in the digital age

Online intimacy and well-being in the digital age

Social problems as factors affecting medical consultation: a comparison between general practice attenders and community probands with emotional distress

Psychosocial predictors of vulnerability to distress in the year following heart transplantation

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