Challenging the commonly held assumption that men and women hail from different psychological and social "planets," this illuminating work reexamines what the empirical research really shows about how the sexes communicate in close relationships. The volume demonstrates that stereotypical beliefs about men and women fail to predict their actual interaction behavior, and highlights evidence of similarities--as well as differences--between the two groups. Setting forth an integrative theory of gender differences, the authors propose that communication behavior is the means by which sex and gender role expectations are created and sustained.