This chapter focuses on the ways that relational uncertainty can both shape and reflect relationship maintenance behaviors. Relational uncertainty reflects questions about the nature or degree of involvement in close relationships. Relational uncertainty can shape relationship maintenance because, under these conditions, people lack a sufficient framework to guide their own behavior or properly interpret the actions of a partner, which could prevent people from taking actions to maintain or bolster the relationship. When people fail to enact relationship maintenance, the interpersonal climate in the relationship can also give rise to increased questions and uncertainty about relational involvement. This chapter begins by reviewing the different types of uncertainty that can exist in close relationships and describes theory that explicates the role of uncertainty in interpersonal relations. Then, the chapter discusses the ways in which relational uncertainty can be an antecedent to relationship maintenance or an outcome of relationships that are not sufficiently maintained. Finally, the chapter concludes by exploring opportunities for future research on relational uncertainty and relationship maintenance.

The synthesis of the research regarding cyclical relationships presents several avenues of future investigation. From a practical standpoint, the increased occurrence of conflict and aggression needs to be unpacked with an eye towards intervention. In addition, several areas of relationships research offer means of determining whether (ex)partners have more malleable and negative cognitive structures that perpetuate the cyclical nature of these relationships. How on-off partners manage the tension between desiring both certainty and ambiguity should also be explored. Potential positives of these relationships should be investigated as well. Cyclical relationships can provide insights on navigating fluctuations and renegotiating boundaries of relationships. These areas of future research would be best addressed with dyadic and longitudinal data. Ultimately, the study of cyclical relationships offers a more sophisticated delineation of relationship stability.