8 - Research Agenda

Summary

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.