An interpersonal relationship is a strong, deep, or acquaintance between two or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring. This association may be based on inference, love, solidarity, 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 or kinship 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.
The study of interpersonal relationships involves several branches of the social sciences, including such disciplines as sociology, communication studies, psychology, anthropology, and social work. Interpersonal skills are vital when trying to develop a relationship with another person. The scientific study of relationships evolved during the 1990s and came to be referred to as 'relationship science', which distinguishes itself from anecdotal evidence or pseudo-experts by basing conclusions on data and objective analysis. Interpersonal ties are also a subject in mathematical sociology.
Human Relations is a monthly peer-reviewed academic journal covering research on social relationships in work-related settings. The journal is published by Sage Publications on behalf of the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations (London). The journal was established in 1947 by the Tavistock Institute and the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
According to the Journal Citation Reports, the journal has a 2013 impact factor of 1.867, ranking it 7th out of 92 journals in the category "Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary" and 48th out of 172 journals in the category "Management".