FSEM 139   The Science of Relationships

Faculty Profile for Professor J. Tomlinson

Close relationships are central to our lives; friends, parents, siblings, romantic partners, acquaintances, and coworkers have an enormous influence on one’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The purpose of this seminar is to understand the processes that regulate human relationships using a scientific perspective. Coursework includes an overview of social psychology theories of relationships research and an exploration of the current literature. Students are exposed to a variety of research methods and have the opportunity to design their own experiment about relationships. Topics include attraction, intimacy, attachment, friendship, interdependence, communication, dissolution and loss, love, and maintaining relationships. Students who successfully complete this seminar will receive credit for CORE 112S and satisfy the Scientific Perspectives core requirement.

How do close relationships bring out the best in us? Jennifer Tomlinson’s research program is designed to understand the ways in which relationship partners can encourage one another to seek out opportunities for personal growth, and how this can benefit relationships and health. She is an associate professor of psychology.