Personality in Intimate Relationships

Socialization and Psychopathology

Luciano L'Abate, Georgia State University, Atlanta

Four decades of contributions to personality theory and family practice have earned Luciano L'Abate a worldwide reputation for therapeutic insights. Now he expands on his pathbreaking relational theory of personality to apply it to the twenty-first-century family in all its configurations. Personality in Intimate Relationships showcases L'Abate's trademark elegant style and provocative ideas in his most accessible work to date.

Based on Axes I and II of the DSM-IV, the book describes relationships along a readily identifiable continuum ranging from optimal functionality to severe pathology, linking the author's conceptual framework to specific diagnostic strategies, therapeutic interventions, and prevention programs. L'Abate's theory not only integrates individual and family theories and seemingly disparate schools of thought, but is also inclusive of nontraditional relationships-grandparent/grandchild dyads, adoptive families, same-sex couples, and others-that are often left out of the family literature.

Among the key areas explored in the book: . Selfhood and self-differentiation . Confrontation and sharing of hurt feelings . Negotiating, bargaining, and problem-solving . Dealing with distance and closeness . Intimacy and the ability to love

In addition, the reader is referred to complementary online appendices that supply helpful questionnaires, workbooks, and ideas for further applications.

Personality in Intimate Relationships offers fresh perspective to all frontline practitioners as well asinvestigators in this area. It is also ideal for graduate courses in abnormal psychology and personal development.

Autorentext

Since his retirement in 1990, Luciano L'Abate, Ph.D. has been Professor Emeritus at Georgia State University where he was previously a Professor of Psychology beginning in 1965. L'Abate has been an editorial board member of many national and foreign professional and scientific journals, as well as a consultant to various publishing houses. He is the author and co-author of over 300 papers, chapters, and book reviews in professional journals in addition to authoring/editing 34 books. His work has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Finnish, Spanish, French, Polish, and German languages. Dr. L'Abate is the recipient of many awards including "Family Psychologist of the Year for 1994" by Division 43 of the American Psychological Association, "Outstanding Contribution" by the Georgia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and "Outstanding Citizen" by the House of Representatives in the State of Georgia. He has also held workshops and lectured extensively in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Spain, and Italy. Dr. L'Abate has spent the last several years involved full-time in writing and research since his retirement from Georgia State University.

Zusammenfassung

Four decades of contributions to personality theory and family practice have earned Luciano L'Abate a worldwide reputation for therapeutic insights. Now he expands on his pathbreaking relational theory of personality to apply it to the twenty-first-century family in all its configurations. Personality in Intimate Relationships showcases L'Abate's trademark elegant style and provocative ideas in his most accessible work to date.

Based on Axes I and II of the DSM-IV, the book describes relationships along a readily identifiable continuum ranging from optimal functionality to severe pathology, linking the author's conceptual framework to specific diagnostic strategies, therapeutic interventions, and prevention programs. L'Abate's theory not only integrates individual and family theories and seemingly disparate schools of thought, but is also inclusive of nontraditional relationshipsgrandparent/grandchild dyads, adoptive families, same-sex couples, and othersthat are often left out of the family literature.

Among the key areas explored in the book:

• Selfhood and self-differentiation
• Confrontation and sharing of hurt feelings
• Negotiating, bargaining, and problem-solving
• Dealing with distance and closeness
• Intimacy and the ability to love

In addition, the reader is referred to complementary online appendices that supply helpful questionnaires, workbooks, and ideas for further applications.

Personality in Intimate Relationships offers fresh perspective to all frontline practitioners as well as investigators in this area. It is also ideal for graduate courses in abnormal psychology and personal development.

Inhalt
Background for a Theory of Personality Socialization in Intimate Relationships and Psychopathology.- Background for a Theory of Personality Socialization in Intimate Relationships and Psychopathology.- Requirements for the Theory.- Reducibility to Known Psychological Constructs.- Verifiability and Accountability.- Metatheoretical Assumptions.- The Horizontality of Relationships.- The Verticality of Relationships.- Settings as Contexts for Intimate Relationships.- Assumptions of the Theory.- Space and the Ability to Love.- Time and the Ability to Negotiate.- Modalities of Exchange.- Models of the Theory.- Developmental Identity-Differentiation.- Styles in Intimate Relationships.- Selfhood: The Attribution of Importance.- Priorities: What Is Really Important?.- Applications of the Theory.- Distance Regulation.- The Drama Triangle.- Intimacy: Sharing Hurts and Fears of Being Hurt.- Negotiating How to Solve Problems.- A Concluding Model16 and a Comparative Model17.- Conclusion.- Testing the Theory in the Laboratory and Prevention Settings.- The Future of the Theory.