ABSTRACT
The need for humans to establish andmaintain intimate attachments and connections with others is a central and fundamental humanmotivation that appears to cut across cultures (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Ryan&Deci, 2000; Sheldon, Elliot, Kim, &Kasser, 2001).Agreat deal of research has investigated the role of intimacy in the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships, and researchers have advanced a variety of definitions and operationalizations of intimacy (e.g., Argyle & Dean, 1965; Chelune, Robinson, & Kommor, 1984; Fisher & Stricker, 1982; Fruzzetti & Jacobson, 1990; Hatfield, 1988; McAdams, 1988; Patterson, 1976, 1982; Schaefer & Olson, 1981; Waring, 1984). These definitions vary greatly and reflect the particular perspective on relationships taken by the particular theorist (Perlman & Fehr, 1987). Although each perspective has demonstrated explanatory power in its own right, theory and research on intimacy has needed a guiding conceptual model (Acitelli & Duck, 1987).
