Differentiation of Self and Mate Retention Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Communication Patterns

Abstract

Differentiation of self refers to the capacity of individuals to manage their emotions, remain thoughtful in strong emotional experiences, and the ability to experience intimacy and independence in relationships. Individual differences in differentiation of self may influence the performance of mate retention behaviors. Because poorly differentiated individuals find separation and rejection unbearable and anxiety-provoking, we hypothesized that different levels of differentiation is related to different strategies of mate retention behaviors. However, little empirical attention has been given to the relationship between differentiation of self and mate retention behaviors, particularly in non-individualistic cultures. We aimed to investigate the mediating role of communication patterns in the relationship between differentiation of self and mate retention behaviors. The sample included 282 married individuals from Community Centers (some neighborhoods in Tehran, Iran). The results supported the associations between mate retention behaviors and differentiation of self, and also showed that communication patterns mediate this relationship. This study improves our understanding of differentiation of self and mate retention behaviors in the context of long-term committed relationships from an evolutionary psychological perspective.

Testing the ability of the benefit-provisioning and cost-inflicting mate retention domains to predict initiator of relationship dissolution

“…For instance, in a study using married couples in Croatia, the use of benefit-provisioning tactics by both men and women was associated with higher relationship satisfaction compared to those using cost-inflicting strategies, but this relationship was stronger when benefit-provisioning tactics were used by men (Salkicevic, Stanic, & Grabovac, 2014). In married couples in Iran, the use of benefit-provisioning tactics compared to cost-inflicting tactics was associated with emotional maturity, greater intimacy, and more constructive communication patterns (Ghanbarian, Hajhosseini, Mikani, & Mahmoudpour, 2020). Among American newlyweds, a cost-inflicting mate retention strategy was correlated with anxious attachment style, and the use of costinflicting tactics by one spouse was associated with a decline in relationship satisfaction in the other spouse over a 3-year period, with further decline for wives compared to husbands (Altgelt & Meltzer, 2019).…”

Impactos da diferenciação do self no comprometimento e na satisfação conjugal de jovens adultos

“…Um estudo com universitários norte-americanos encontrou relação entre bons níveis de diferenciação do self e a resolução satisfatória das etapas do desenvolvimento psicossocial propostos por Erikson (medidos pelo Differentiation of Self Inventory e pela Measure of Psychossocial Development, respectivamente) (Jenkins et al, 2005). Outras pesquisas, investigando amostras de diferentes países e contextos socioculturais, apontam que a diferenciação do self se associa positivamente com o bem-estar psicológico e com as capacidades de relacionamento interpessoal, de autocontrole emocional e de perdoar e, negativamente, com estratégias destrutivas de comunicação, indicadores de sofrimento psicológico, transtornos mentais e apego ansioso (Bartle-Haring et al, 2019;Fiorini et al, 2018;Ghanbarian et al, 2020;Heintzelman et al, 2014;Skowron, 2000;Skowron & Dendy, 2004). Além disso, em uma amostra colombiana, a diferenciação do self também esteve relacionada com a estabilidade do relacionamento ao longo do tempo (Cabrera-García et al, 2019).…”