The present work advances and tests an interdependence-based model of the associations among commitment, pro-relationship behavior, and trust. Findings from two longitudinal studies revealed good support for model predictions. Commitment-inspired acts such as accommodation and willingness to sacrifice provide diagnostic information regarding a partner's pro-relationship motives. Individuals come to trust their partners when they perceive that their partners have enacted pro-relationship behaviors, departing from their direct self-interest for the good of the relationship. The results of mediation analyses are consistent with a model of mutual cyclical growth in which (a) dependence promotes strong commitment, (b) commitment promotes pro-relationship acts, (c) pro-relationship acts are perceived by the partner, (d) the perception of pro-relationship acts enhances the partner's trust, and (e) trust increases the partner's willingness to become dependent on the relationship. Auxiliary analyses revealed that self-reported attachment style does not account for substantial variance beyond the features of interdependence that form the basis for the present model.The more he treated her as though she were really very nice, the more Lotty expanded and became really very nice, and the more he, affected in his turn, became really very nice himself; so that they went round and round, not in a vicious but in a highly virtuous circle.-Elizabeth von Arnim, The Enchanted AprilSometimes involvement with a close partner is simple. When partners' goals correspond and their behavioral preferences are compatible, partners can readily achieve desirable outcomes such as intimacy, companionship, and security. It is easy to behave well and do the right thing when interdependence structure is congenial. The true test of a relationship arises when circumstances are not so congenial-when partners encounter dilemmas involving conflicted interaction, incompatible preferences, or extrarelationship temptation. In dilemmas of this sort the immediate interests of the individual are incompatible with the interests of the relationship, and something must give.

This meta‐analysis finds that parents report lower marital satisfaction compared with nonparents (d=−.19, r=−.10). There is also a significant negative correlation between marital satisfaction and number of children (d=−.13, r=−.06). The difference in marital satisfaction is most pronounced among mothers of infants (38% of mothers of infants have high marital satisfaction, compared with 62% of childless women). For men, the effect remains similar across ages of children. The effect of parenthood on marital satisfaction is more negative among high socioeconomic groups, younger birth cohorts, and in more recent years. The data suggest that marital satisfaction decreases after the birth of a child due to role conflicts and restriction of freedom.

Five studies investigated the links among narcissism, self-esteem, and love. Across all studies, narcissism was associated primarily with a game-playing love style. This link was found in reports of general love styles (Study 1a) and of love in ongoing romantic relationships 5). Narcissists' gameplaying love style was the result of a need for power and autonomy (Study 2) and was linked with greater relationship alternatives and lesser commitment (Study 3). Finally, narcissists' self-reports of game playing were confirmed by their partners in past and current relationships (Studies 4, 5). In contrast, self-esteem was negatively linked to manic love and positively linked to passionate love across studies. Implications for the understanding of narcissism in relationships are discussed.If you do not love yourself, you will be unable to love others. (Popular belief quoted by Branden, 1994) There are a whole lot of hearts breakin' tonight from the disease of conceit.-Bob Dylan, "Disease of Conceit" It is popularly believed that self-love is a necessary prerequisite for loving others. As exemplified by the first quote above, this belief permeates the realm of self-help literature (Branden, 1994). At a societal level, this belief may be linked to the self-esteem movement (itself an offshoot of the human potential movement), which has promoted positive self-views as a panacea for a range of social ills from unemployment to violence and teenage pregnancy (Mecca, Smelser, & Vasconcellos, 1989). There are several explanations for why self-love should promote love for others. Perhaps individuals who do not love themselves do not believe that others can love them and thus avoid healthy love relationships. Or perhaps if individuals do not love themselves, they select bad relationships as part of an overall self-destructive strategy. Of course, the presumed link between self-love and love for others may also reflect a misinterpretation of causation. When people love others, they grow in love for themselves-at least if the love is returned.In short, there is a popular belief that loving the self is a net positive for loving others, but the exact causal chain remains unclear (W. K. Campbell & Baumeister, 2001).A second and historically older position suggests quite a different view of self-love. As noted in the second quote above, it is believed that self-love can actually prevent or even be harmful for romantic relationships. This position was described most colorfully by the ancient Greeks in the story of Narcissus. Narcissus was the personification of self-love: He saw himself as beautiful and better than those around him. Unfortunately, it was precisely this self-love that kept Narcissus from forming loving relationships with others. He wandered the country looking for the ideal partner (one potential partner, Echo, had her heart broken by Narcissus), but he fell in love with his own image reflected in a pool of water and died. Clearly, the Greeks saw self-love as an impediment to loving others as well as a source of sufferi...

Two studies examined narcissism and commitment in ongoing romantic relationships. In Study 1, narcissism was found to be negatively related to commitment. Mediational analyses further revealed that this was primarily a result of narcissists’ perception of alternatives to their current relationship. Study 2 replicated these findings with an additional measure of alternatives. Again, narcissists reported less commitment to their ongoing romantic relationship. This link was mediated by both perception of alternatives and attention to alternative dating partners. The utility of an interdependence approach to understanding the role of personality in romantic relationships is discussed.

A meta-analysis, a review, and an experiment investigated the effect of arousal on attraction. The meta-analysis examined experiments that manipulated arousal level. Results indicated that arousal affects attraction even when the arousal source is relatively unambiguous. In contrast, a review of experiments that manipulated arousal source ambiguity suggested that arousal exerts a stronger influence on attraction when arousal sources are greater in ambiguity. The authors proposed a judgment and adjustment model that states that arousal automatically affects judgments of attraction but that individuals can correct (i.e., adjust) for this automatic effect when the arousal source is unambiguous. Consistent with this model, an experiment provided evidence that cognitive busyness interferes with the adjustment process.