ABSTRACT
One of the most daunting issues confronting researchers and practitioners in the area of close relationships concerns the dynamics of how people both maintain and enhance their close romantic relationships (including, but not limited to, marriage) over time. We have considerable literature and a relatively lengthy history of work on the initiation and dissolution processes in close relationships. It is only in the last decade, however, that the topics of maintenance and enhancement have become prominent foci for study and writing, as well as for therapy and prevention programs. Across different fields, close relationships scholars and practitioners have begun to theorize and conduct research on presumed ingredients of maintenance and enhancement to offer conclusions on what does and does not work in different couples and situations.
