Final answer:
John Gottman identified four destructive interpersonal styles, the 'Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse', that often lead to relationship problems and breakups. Other psychologists such as Maslow, Bandura, and Bowlby have made significant contributions to psychology in other areas, like humanistic theory, observational learning, and attachment theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The researcher who identified four interpersonal styles that often lead to difficulties and breakups between couples who are romantically involved is John Gottman. John Gottman's research has been seminal in understanding the dynamics of romantic relationships and the predictors of their success or failure. Gottman identified four negative interpersonal styles, which he nicknamed 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse', that are particularly destructive to relationships: criticism, defensiveness, contempt, and stonewalling.
While other theorists like Abraham Maslow, John Bowlby, and Albert Bandura have made significant contributions to psychology, their work is not focused on romantic relationship dynamics in the way Gottman's is. Maslow is best known for his theory on the hierarchy of needs, Bandura proposed the theory of observational learning, and Bowlby is known for his work on attachment theory.
Observational learning was proposed by Albert Bandura, who highlighted the importance of social learning through observing others, which contrasts with classical conditioning (Ivan Pavlov) and operant conditioning (B.F. Skinner), which focus more on direct experiences as formative to behavior.
Abraham Maslow, along with Carl Rogers, is associated with humanistic psychology and the notion of self-actualization. Maslow proposed that humans are motivated by a hierarchy of needs culminating in the desire to achieve one's full potential once more basic needs are satisfied. Carl Rogers emphasized the importance of genuineness, empathy, and acceptance in therapeutic relationships, and this has influenced various approaches in psychotherapy.