MARITAL INTIMACY - CONCEPTUALIZATION AND ASSESSMENT

This paper examines the psychological literature with regard to marita l intimacy, paying specific attention to the components and determinan ts of intimacy, its contribution to the development and maintenance of a satisfactory marital relationship, and its connection with the spou ses' psychological well-being. Based upon a review of theoretical and empirical approaches to the conceptualization of intimacy, the authors propose a multidimensional model which includes six dimensions of int imacy: two on the individual level (authenticity and openness), three on the dyadic level (affective, cognitive, and instrumental interdepen dence), and one on the social group or network level (exclusiveness). The article concludes with a brief discussion of the most important in struments for the assessment of marital intimacy.