ABSTRACT
This chapter is designed to provide an overview of theoretical issues in relational processes after dissolution by focusing on account-making of premarital postdissolution relationships (PDRs). A PDR is a cross-sex nonromantic friendship or companionship established by former romantic partners, and this term refers to both a reestablished relationship between exspouses (a postdivorce relationship) and that after a breakup before marriage (a postdating relationship). This chapter consists of two major parts. The first part briefly reviews previous research on PDRs in general and points out a fundamental problem in the research tradition of this untraditional type of relationship: Relationship researchers still cannot sufficiently explain why some people voluntarily maintain relational interactions with their former romantic partners. Then, the second part introduces a part of my own exploratory research about communicative strategies legitimating premarital PDRs, which answers a research question derived from the review. Given the results of the research, the last section discusses the potential of the accountmaking approach to enhance future PDR research.
