Interpersonal Relationships

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Intimacy, in relation to interpersonal relationships, goes beyond romantic relationships. When social psychologists describe interpersonal relationships it's used in reference to the bond between two platonic friends, mother and child, father and son, etc. The general theme is that all people strive for attachment, intimacy and belonging.

The definition of intimacy is tricky. Many believe that it only relates to sexual behaviour; however, there are generally four types of intimacy:

1) Physical: That includes sex but can also include hugging, kissing, holding hands, caressing etc.
2) Emotional: The feeling of falling in love; "floating on air"; usually happens after gaining trust in the other person
3) Cognitive: You are cognitively intimate with another person when there's an exchange of ideas, thoughts, likes/dislikes, fears etc. Again, this usually happens after you've gained trust in sharing your intimate secrets and deepest ...