A multiple goals theory of personal relationships: Conceptual integration and program overview

Despite being the dominant perspective for understanding how messages are produced in interpersonal communication, multiple goals theories of communication have not been prominent in relationship scholarship. In this article, I argue that multiple goals theories can be adapted to provide important insights into communication and relational outcomes (e.g., satisfaction). To illustrate the utility of this perspective, I summarize three sets of studies from my research program and conclude that a multiple goals perspective can enrich both relationship and message production scholarship. In particular, a multiple goals perspective provides a counterpoint to some overly simplistic conceptualizations of relational interaction and highlights important research questions that are rarely addressed.