ABSTRACT
Spend some time perusing the magazine aisle or self-help section at your local bookstore and you will be amazed at the sheer number of articles and books whose authors promise to provide solutions to
important relationship problems and to share the knowledge needed to become a better parent, lover, friend, work colleague, and even pet owner. Relationship scientists are also interested in uncovering relationship truths and answering questions about relationships, but unlike most popular press writers-who tend to rely on anecdote, personal beliefs, or unfounded assumptions-they use specialized scientifi c methods for fi nding the answers. To a large extent, research methodology comprises the language of relationship science (or any science, for that matter). Principles of design and methodology allow scientists to develop and test their hypotheses and to communicate their results to other researchers and to the world at large. Therefore, knowledge of methodology is essential for anyone who wishes to be able to accurately interpret information about relationships. In this chapter, we consider the research methods commonly used by relationship scientists in their quest to understand-and make accurate predictions about-relationship phenomena.
