Human beings develop various close relationships throughout their lifespan. These close relationships are also critical antecedents and consequences of self-regulation. For instance, romantic partners often have instrumental value in personal goal pursuit while self-regulatory failures often cause relationship failures. The quality of close relationships is also the most important source of psychological well-being. Many of the human sufferings are rooted in problematic (or lack of) close relationships. This course aims to provide scientific analyses of various aspects of close relationship (romantic relationship in particular) with a specific focus on their interaction with self-regulation. The proposed course will introduce classic theories and updated findings on a number of controversial topics such as the role of self-control in relationship outcomes, the instrumental value of romantic partners in personal goal pursuit and the effect of romantic break-up on self-concept. The course will first provide an overview of relationship science, its current status and significance. Then it will be dedicated to in-depth discussion of specific topics by guiding students to critically review selected journal articles and book chapters. Topics will be connected to their implications for building optimal relationships and self-regulation. Students will also have opportunity to conduct mini-research project under the guidance of the instructor. Hopefully, this course can enable students to make sense of their experiences in intimate relationships from a scientific perspective.

4. reflect their own attitudes towards love and intimate relationships in order to develop more satisfying relationships