PSY 838 Spring 2015
1
Interpersonal Behavior and Relationships
PSY 838 – Spring 2015
Mondays 12:40 to 3:30, Psychology 249B
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
email:
Debby Kashy
249B Psychology
517-432-9898
kashyd@msu.edu
Book: Vangelisti, A. L., & Perlman, D. (2006). The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships. New
York: Cambridge University Press.
Course Objectives:
The goal of this course is to provide an introduction to some of the major theoretical issues, debates, and
empirical findings concerning relationships. This field is characterized by enormous breath of content, unique
methodological and statistical challenges, and a need for meta-theories around which major empirical findings
can be integrated and organized.
Course Requirements
1. Constructive participation in seminar (33% of your final grade). It is critical that everyone reads the
course material and actively participates in seminar meetings. Every week there will be a set of readings
that everyone in the class will read. In addition, each week you will need to find one additional reading,
related to the topic that week. For that unique reading you will need to prepare to present the material
discussed in the paper to the class in an informal discussion (i.e., not power-point). Some weeks I’ll
provide a list of options for the extra paper/chapter and other weeks I’ll have you find a paper that is of
particular interest to you.
2. Leading the half of one course period for a topic of your choice (33% of final grade). At the
beginning of the semester each of you will chose a topic in the field of close relationships that you think
that you may want to pursue in your future work. Your assignment will be to derive a reading list for the
class, make a lesson plan for the class period, and lead the class on that day. Note that this is actually a
pretty big assignment because you need to know considerably more than just the content of the papers
you assign.
3. Write a research proposal for an empirical study that you of the topic you chose in (2). (33% of
final grade). The proposal should include an introduction section, a method section, and an analysis
section. It should not exceed 15 pages double spaced.
Topics:
Evolutionary theory
Interdependence theory
Attachment theory
Self-expansion model
Personality and Relationships
Regulation processes
Social development
Intimate Partner violence
Health
Stress and social support
Sexuality
Family relationships
PSY 838 Spring 2015
2
Readings for Jan 12-Jan18
The Blossoming of Relationship Science. (2013) Chapter 1, Oxford Handbook of Close Relationships, pp 3-10
The Seven Seas of the Study of Personal Relationships: From “The Thousand Islands” to Interconnected Waterways (2006). Chapter
2, Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships, pp 11-34
Theoretical Perspectives in the Study of Close relationships. Chapter 3, Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships pp 35-49
Plus any 3 papers from the list below:
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Low self-control promotes the willingness to sacrifice in close relationships. Righetti, Francesca; Finkenauer, Catrin; Finkel,
Eli J.. Psychological Science 24.8 (Aug 2013): 1533-1540.
What it pays to know about a close other: The value of if-then personality knowledge in close relationships. Friesen, Charity
A.; Kammrath, Lara K.. Psychological Science 22.5 (May 2011): 567-571.
Relational mobility explains between- and within-culture differences in self-disclosure to close friends. Schug, Joanna; Yuki,
Masaki; Maddux, William. Psychological Science 21.10 (Oct 2010): 1471-1478.
The paradox of received social support: The importance of responsiveness. Maisel, Natalya C.; Gable, Shelly L..
Psychological Science 20.8 (Aug 2009): 928-932.
Spousal relationship quality and cardiovascular risk: Dyadic perceptions of relationship ambivalence are associated with
coronary-artery calcification. Uchino, Bert N.; Smith, Timothy W.; Berg, Cynthia A.. Psychological Science 25.4 (Apr
2014): 1037-1042.
Perceived support for promotion-focused and prevention-focused goals: Associations with well-being in unmarried and
married couples. Molden, Daniel C.; Lucas, Gale M.; Finkel, Eli J.; Kumashiro, Madoka; Rusbul, Caryl. Psychological
Science 20.7 (Jul 2009): 787-793.
Neural responses to partner rejection cues. Zayas, Vivian; Shoda, Yuichi; Mischel, Walter; Osterhout, Lee; Takahashi,
Melissa. Psychological Science 20.7 (Jul 2009): 813-821.
Implicit self-evaluations predict changes in implicit partner evaluations. McNulty, James K.; Baker, Levi R.; Olson, Michael
A.. Psychological Science 25.8 (Aug 2014): 1649-1657.
When leaving your ex, love yourself: Observational ratings of self-compassion predict the course of emotional recovery
following marital separation. Sbarra, David A.; Smith, Hillary L.; Mehl, Matthias R.. Psychological Science 23.3 (Mar 2012):
261-269.
Attachment anxiety is linked to alterations in cortisol production and cellular immunity. Jaremka, Lisa M.; Glaser, Ronald;
Loving, Timothy J.; Malarkey, William B.; Stowell, Jeffrey R.; et al. Psychological Science 24.3 (Mar 2013): 272-279.
The moral compass of insecurity: Anxious and avoidant attachment predict moral judgment. Koleva, Spassena; Selterman,
Dylan; Iyer, Ravi; Ditto, Peter; Graham, Jesse. Social Psychological and Personality Science 5.2 (Mar 2014): 185-194.
Romantic relationships conceptualized as a judgment and decision-making domain.Joel, Samantha; MacDonald, Geoff; Plaks,
Jason E.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 22.6 (Dec 2013): 461-465.
When positive processes hurt relationships.McNulty, James K.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 19.3 (Jun 2010):
167-171.
Psychological foundations of trust.Simpson, Jeffry A.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 16.5 (Oct 2007): 264268. It takes two to tango: Why older people have the best relationships. Fingerman, Karen L.; Charles, Susan T.. Current
Directions in Psychological Science 19.3 (Jun 2010): 172-176. \
Adult attachment: Toward a rapprochement of methodological cultures. Roisman, Glenn I.. Current Directions in
Psychological Science 18.2 (Apr 2009): 122-126.
Speed-dating. Finkel, Eli J.; Eastwick, Paul W.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 17.3 (Jun 2008): 193-197.
An interactionist perspective on interpersonal dependency. Bornstein, Robert F.. Current Directions in Psychological Science
20.2 (Apr 2011): 124-128. \Parent-infant synchrony: Biological foundations and developmental outcomes. Feldman, Ruth.
Current Directions in Psychological Science 16.6 (Dec 2007): 340-345.
Tend and Befriend: Biobehavioral Bases of Affiliation Under Stress. Taylor, Shelley E.. Current Directions in Psychological
Science 15.6 (Dec 2006): 273-277.
The Michelangelo phenomenon. Rusbult, Caryl E.; Finkel, Eli J.; Kumashiro, Madoka. Current Directions in Psychological
Science 18.6 (Dec 2009): 305-309.
Children's emotional security in the interparental relationship. Davies, Patrick T.; Woitach, Meredith J.. Current Directions in
Psychological Science 17.4 (Aug 2008): 269-274.
Does attachment get under the skin? Adult romantic attachment and cortisol responses to stress. Pietromonaco, Paula R.;
DeBuse, Casey J.; Powers, Sally I.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 22.1 (Feb 2013): 63-68.
PSY 838 Spring 2015 3
22. The impact of early interpersonal experience on adult romantic relationship functioning: Recent findings from the Minnesota
longitudinal study of risk and adaptation. Simpson, Jeffry A.; Collins, W. Andrew; Salvatore, Jessica E.. Current Directions in
Psychological Science 20.6 (Dec 2011): 355-359.
23. Children of Lesbian and Gay Parents. Patterson, Charlotte J.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 15.5 (Oct 2006):
241-244.
24. Psychobiological Roots of Early Attachment. Hofer, Myron A.. Current Directions in Psychological Science 15.2 (Apr 2006):
84-88.
25. Structural stigma and the health of lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Hatzenbuehler, Mark L.. Current Directions in
Psychological Science 23.2 (Apr 2014): 127-132.
26. Family matters: Intergenerational and interpersonal processes of executive function and attentive behavior. Deater-Deckard,
Kirby. Current Directions in Psychological Science 23.3 (Jun 2014): 230-236.
27. Partner buffering of attachment insecurity. Simpson, Jeffry A.; Overall, Nickola C.. Current Directions in Psychological
Science 23.1 (Feb 2014): 54-59.
28. Within-family differences in parent-child relations across the life course. Suitor, J. Jill; Sechrist, Jori; Plikuhn, Mari; Pardo,
Seth T.; Pillemer, Karl. Current Directions in Psychological Science 17.5 (Oct 2008): 334-338.
Readings for Jan 19 - Jan25 – Evolutionary Psychology & Close Relationships
1. Relationships from an Evolutionary Life History Perspective. Douglas T. Kenrick, Steven L. Neuberg,
and Andrew E. White (2013) Chapter 2, Oxford Handbook of Close Relationships
2. Love is a battlefield: Romantic Attraction, Intrasexual Competition, and Conflict between the Sexes on
K. Maner and Joshua M. Ackerman (2013) Chapter 7, Oxford Handbook of Close Relationships
3. The Nature of Female Sexuality: Insights into the Dynamics of Romantic Relationships Steven W.
Gangestad and Christine E. Garver-Apgar. (2013) Chapter 17, Oxford Handbook of Close Relationships
4. Plus 1 research article of your choice.