An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence,love and liking, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the context of social, cultural and other influences. The context can vary from family relations, friendship, marriage, relations with associates, work, clubs, neighborhoods, and places of worship. They may be regulated by law, custom, or mutual agreement, and are the basis of social groups and society as a whole. Although humans are fundamentally social creatures, interpersonal relationships are not always healthy. Examples of unhealthy relationships include abusive relationships and codependence.

A relationship is normally viewed as a connection between two individuals, such as a romantic or intimate relationship, or a parent-child relationship. Individuals can also have relationships with groups of people, such as the relation between a pastor and his congregation, an uncle and a family, or a mayor and a town. Finally, groups or even nations may have relations with each other, though this is a much broader domain than that covered under the topic of interpersonal relationships. See such articles as international relations for more information on associations between groups. Most scholarly work on relationships focuses on romantic partners in pairs ordyads. These intimate relationships are, however, only a small subset of interpersonal relationships. Interpersonal relationships also can include friendships, such as relationships involving individuals providing relational care to marginalized persons.

These relationships usually involve some level of interdependence. People in a relationship tend to influence each other, share their thoughts and feelings, and engage in activities together. Because of this interdependence, most things that change or impact one member of the relationship will have some level of impact on the other member.^[1] The study of interpersonal relationships involves several branches of the social sciences, including such disciplines as sociology, psychology,anthropology, and social work.

Interpersonal Attraction

We are drawn to people who give us gifts, are nice to us, have common interests, and people who make us laugh, and entertain us. That is if we don't think they have a self-serving purpose, or in genuine. We also avoid the very people who do the opposite of all those wonderful traits. What is the driving forces that either conscious or unconsciously, attract us to people? According to psychologist Elliot Aronson (2004) the reward theory of attraction, which says that attraction is a form of social learning. That we look at the benefits, and rewards of each other, as a "reward theory, "and we like the people who give us the maximum rewards at minimum costs. This is the explanation for our interpersonal attraction to each other. According to Aronson we have three distinct theories of attraction, proximity, reward, and similarity. Proximity (closeness) Have you heard the old wise tale of "Absence makes the heart grow fonder", on the other hand, "Out of sight, out of mind." In many studies, the overwhelming winner is proximity. (Simpson & Harris, 1994). The principle is founded on (nearness) also accounting for many marriages to the girl next door. The people who you have the most contact with are the same people you are more likely to have a relationship with. Similarity- The similarity principle explains that people make friends with people who are in similar groups, educational status, and have similar music, and other social activities, and habits like drinking, or drugs. (Kandel, 1978). This is also why we are attracted to people that similar in age, race, and attitudes; similarly, their values and proximity, makes them even more attractive to us. (Brehm, 1992).