Personal constructs in relationship deterioration: A longitudinal study

The position that friendship formation involves partners in developing a common understanding of social reality was tested in a controlled study of acquaintance over a 20-week period. Individuals from 2 mixed-sex groups engaged in a series of regulated discussions once weekly for approximately 1 hour each time. They also completed repertory grids and attraction ratings after the 4th and 18th weeks of acquaintance. Results indicated that deteriorating partnerships were significantly less similar in their assessment of other group members than were developing friendships, but that both developing and failing relationships became more similar over time. These findings are interpreted as generally supporting the role of consensual validation in successful relationship development.