Rethinking closeness and distance in intimate relationships: Are they really two opposites?

In this article, the author presents a theoretical scheme focusing on the relation between closeness and distance in intimate relationships. This challenges a commonly held notion, which maintains that the two constructs are opposite poles on a single continuum. The authors present an alternative conceptualization employing dialectical and reflective thinking, resulting in a multidimensional conceptual model. Accordingly, apparent opposites at preliminary dimensions of experience may be unified into a shared construction of dyadic closeness and distance, when reflected on through a higher systemic mode of thinking. This process leads to a second-order level of dyadic closeness, which is indicative of the quality of the intimate relationship. The relevance of the model to different cultural contexts, as well as its implications for theory, research, and practice, are elaborated and discussed.