Unwanted Relationships: How and Why They Begin

Reviews The Dark Side of Relationship Pursuit: From Attraction to Obsession and Stalking by William R. Cupach and Brian H. Spitzberg (see record 2004-00236-000). The reviewer notes that nonmutual relationships are dysfunctional in nature, as they are not reciprocated. Despite the lack of shared interest, the pursuer continues with the chase for an array of reasons. This pursuit thereby forces a relationship onto an unwilling or sometimes unknowing person. In this book, authors Cupach and Spitzberg attempt to delineate and to integrate the characteristics of unwanted pursuit to aid in improving the understanding of nonmutual relationships. The authors refer to these patterns of behavior as "obsessive relational intrusion (ORI)" and "stalking." Cupach and Spitzberg acknowledge that a multitude of factors come together and interact in the development and dissolution of relationships. They present information that aids in organizing current knowledge about the creation and maintenance of dysfunctional relationships. In addition, they propose "relational goal pursuit theory" as a way of explaining how everyday relationship pursuit develops into an obsessive goal for the pursuer. A typology of stalking motivation that examines different factors that combine to create the situations leading up to unwanted pursuit is also presented. The reviewer concludes that this work offers an outstanding summary and overview of relationship formation and provides constructive information regarding unwanted pursuit. The authors integrate information and research from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, criminal justice, sociology, and social work to help expand on the knowledge base currently available. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)