Definition
Broadly defined, social relationships refer to the connections that exist between people who have recurring interactions that are perceived by the participants to have personal meaning. This definition includes relationships between family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other associates but excludes social contacts and interactions that are fleeting, incidental, or perceived to have limited significance (e.g., time-limited interactions with service providers or retail employees). Scientists interested in behavioral medicine often emphasize the informal social relationships that are important in a person’s life, or the person’s social network, rather than formal relationships, such as those with physicians, lawyers, or clergy. Relationship phenomena of interest to scientists encompass both the specific interactions that individuals experience with members of their social networks and the global...
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August, K.J., Rook, K.S. (2013). Social Relationships. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_59
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