In this chapter, we propose a model of the intimacy process. The process begins when one person expresses personally,revealing feelings or information to another. Jt continues when the listener responds supportively and empathically. For an interaction to become intimate, the discloser must feel understood, validated, and cared for. 'Intimacy' and 'intimate'—from the Latin words intimus (innerm...

The purpose of this study was to compare the intimacy, spiritual well being (SWB), and self-esteem of couples using natural family planning (NFP) with those couples using oral contraceptives (OCs). 22 couples who were using the Creighton Model Ovulation Method of NFP for 1 year to avoid pregnancy were matched with 22 couples who were using OCs for a least a 1-year period and administered a SWB...

In the broad context, an understanding of the role of intimacy has been discussed as essential to the development of a science of interpersonal relationships (Hinde, 1978). Specifically, the absence of an intimate confiding relationship has been identified as a vulnerability factor in the onset of depression under adverse circumstances (Brown & Harris, 1978 a; Costello, 1982; Solomon & Bromet, ...

In the current study we investigated the association between intimacy and passion by testing whether increases in intimacy generates passion (Baumeister and Bratslavsky, 1999). Furthermore, we examined whether there are partner effects in intimacy change and passion link. Couples (N = 75) participated in a 14-day long diary study. Dyadic multilevel analyses with residualized intimacy change sco...

In this research, we propose a Social Learning Management System (SLMS) enabling real-time and reliable feedback for incorrect answers by learners using a social network service (SNS). The proposed system increases the accuracy of learners’ assessment results by using a confidence scale and a variety of social feedback that is created and shared through learners’ personal SNS connections. The s...

Online social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn regularly use People You May Know (PYMK) algorithms to encourage connectivity among their users. We argue that these algorithms have the unintended effect of making users’ interactions more visible, which can deter them from being intimate online. To test this theory, we analyze data from a large online social network that lets users buy and exc...

The theory of social presence is perhaps the most popular construct used to describe and understand how people socially interact in online learning environments. However, despite its intuitive appeal, researchers and practitioners alike often define and conceptualize this popular construct differently. In fact, it is often hard to distinguish between whether someone is talking about social inte...

Definition of Loneliness Some of the early definitions of loneliness characterized it as a lack of social intimacy or as a deficiency in social relationships. Loneliness is often described as a subjective feeling of isolation, not belonging, or lacking companionship. Steptoe et al contend that loneliness is frequently considered as “the psychological embodiment of social isolation.” Other exper...

As Foner (1999) explained, “Kinship ties are an effective way to cope with uncertainty and economic scarcity.” Granovetter (1973) defined the “strength” of an interpersonal tie as being a function of the “amount of time, the emotional intensity, the intimacy (mutual confiding), and the reciprocal services which characterize the tie.” Individuals build and cultivate both strong and weak interper...