Relationship Awareness: Crossing the Bridge Between Cognition and Communication

• DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2885.2002.tb00261.x
• Publication Date: 2006-10-11T21:13:55Z
• Authors: Linda K. Acitelli
• Keywords: 4. Education; 05 social sciences; 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences

Theories are often born out of puzzlement. Sometimes the puzzles are intellectual and sometimes they are practical. Juxtaposing the theoretical with the practical, the author describes the processes whereby the concept of relationship awareness was developed and expanded. Relationship awareness involves attending to relationships. Such attention can take the form of thinking or talking about relationships. The concept of relationship awareness began to form during the process of fulfilling an assignment in graduate school. The concept was later expanded to include the situational contexts and the individual factors that modify the association between relationship awareness and relationship satisfaction. The next phase of the theory broadened the contexts in which relationship awareness is examined. Theorizing on relationship awareness has begun to incorporate sociocultural contexts. By examining the role of cultural beliefs on thinking and talking about relationships, this new development also has the potential to extend our understanding of the underlying factors that determine whether the effects of relationship awareness are positive or negative. Applications of the theory to other domains are also discussed.