To understand the present study, it is important to have certain tools for thinking. These include conceptual tools, which consist of the concepts used to categorize study participants for comparisons, as well as theoretical concepts for explaining which factors were measured and why they matter. They also include statistical tools for making comparisons and determining how much the factors matter. Statistical tools are used to reveal the results throughout this book. This chapter reviews these conceptual and statistical tools to facilitate the reader’s understanding of this study, as well as other research on intimate relationships.

There are various ways of being intimate, including physical (touching, hugging, kissing, sexual), emotional (sharing feelings), cognitive (sharing thoughts), and experiential (sharing activities), as noted by Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2004). There are also many kinds of intimate relationships, including friendships, dating, marriage, and other relationships among family members or non-relatives. This book focuses primarily on dating, marriage, and other romantic or sexual relationships.