Inequity of sacrifice and marital satisfaction in Chinese young couples

Lan, Jing; Li, Xiaomin; Cao, Hongjian; Zhou, Nan; Lin, Xiuyun; Deng, Linyuan; Fang, Xiaoyi

doi:10.1111/1467-6427.12153

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Thus, both individuals should achieve better long-term outcomes if, in repeated interactions, they favor prosocial responses over self-interested ones (Pruitt & Kimmel, 1977). Some empirical research has indeed corroborated these ideas by showing positive associations between sacrifice and relationship functioning (e.g., higher relationship satisfaction, commitment, dyadic coping; e.g., Chen & Li, 2007; Lan et al, 2017; Ruppel & Curran, 2012; Van Lange, Rusbult, et al, 1997; Wieselquist et al, 1999; Zhang & Li, 2015).…”

Section: Sacrifice and Personal And Relationship Well-being: Two Diff...mentioning

confidence: 91%

The link between sacrifice and relational and personal well-being: A meta-analysis.

Righetti

Sakaluk²,

Faure

et al. 2020

Psychological Bulletin

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Prosocial behavior is often thought to bring benefits to individuals and relationships. Do such benefits exist when prosocial behavior is costly for the individual, such as when people are sacrificing for their partner or relationship? Although different theoretical accounts would predict that sacrifice is either positively or negatively associated with personal and relational well-being, empirical work in this regard has been inconclusive. We conducted a meta-analytic synthesis of 82 data sets and 9,547 effect sizes (N ϭ 32,053) to test the link between sacrifice and both personal and relationship well-being for both the individual who performs the sacrifice and their romantic partner. We examined four different facets of sacrifice (i.e., willingness to sacrifice, behavioral sacrifice, satisfaction with sacrifice, and costs of sacrifice). Results revealed that these facets were differently associated with well-being. Specifically, an individual's willingness to sacrifice was positively associated with their own personal and relationship well-being and with their partner's relationship well-being (.09 Ͻ rs Ͻ .27). However, behavioral sacrifice was negatively associated with own personal well-being (r ϭ Ϫ.07). Satisfaction with sacrifice was positively associated with individual and partner well-being (.11 Ͻ rs Ͻ .43). Costs of sacrifice were negatively related to one's own personal and relationship well-being and to the partner's relationship well-being (Ϫ.10 Ͻ rs Ͻ Ϫ.26). Some moderators were also identified. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on prosocial behavior and relationships, address the implications of the methodologies used to study prosocial behavior, and suggest directions for future research.

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Section: Sacrifice and Personal And Relationship Well-being: Two Diff...mentioning

confidence: 91%

The link between sacrifice and relational and personal well-being: A meta-analysis.

Righetti

Sakaluk²,

Faure

et al. 2020

Psychological Bulletin

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show abstract

“…Research examining the link between actual performed sacrifices and personal and relationship well-being has not yielded consistent results. Some studies found that sacrifice was positively associated with well-being (e.g., Chen & Li, 2007; Lan et al, 2017; Ruppel & Curran, 2012), whereas others documented that sacrifice was negatively related to well-being (e.g., Totenhagen & Curran, 2011; Whitton et al, 2007; Young & Curran, 2016). Others still found no association between the two (e.g., Impett, Gable, & Peplau, 2005; Righetti, Gere, Hofmann, Visserman, & Van Lange, 2016; Totenhagen, Curran, Serido, & Butler, 2013), a finding that is consistent with preliminary results from a recent meta-analysis of the link between actual performed sacrifice and relationship well-being (Righetti et al, 2019).…”

Section: Sacrifice and Personal And Relationship Well-beingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The bittersweet taste of sacrifice: Consequences for ambivalence and mixed reactions.

Righetti¹,

Schneider²,

Ferrier³

et al. 2020

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

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People in close relationships often need to sacrifice their own preferences and goals for the partner or the relationship. But what are the consequences of such sacrifices for relationship partners? In this work we provide a systematic investigation of the consequences of sacrifice in romantic relationships, both for the person who gives up their goals as well as for the recipient of these benefits. In 5 studies combining experience sampling and experimental methods, we examined whether performing and receiving sacrifices is linked to the experience of ambivalence, that is, mixed feelings toward a partner. In the last 3 studies, we also examined the specific positive and negative reactions associated with sacrifice. Results revealed that performing and receiving sacrifices are both linked to ambivalence toward a romantic partner. Recipients of sacrifices experienced higher negative mood, guilt, and feelings of indebtedness, but these were accompanied by higher positive mood, gratitude, and feeling appreciated by the partner. Sacrificers mostly experienced negative reactions, such as higher negative mood, frustration, and feelings of exploitation, but they also reported some positive reactions, such as feeling happy from benefitting their partner, proud of themselves for being a good partner, and had increased expectations that their partner would reciprocate the sacrifice in the future. In sum, this work provides the first comprehensive study of the emotional reactions that are triggered by sacrifice and shows that sacrifice is a double-edged sword with both positive and negative consequences. Implications for sacrifice and ambivalence are discussed.

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“…Given previous research demonstrating that gratitude expressions can elicit negative responses (e.g., by signaling interpersonal distance; Zhang et al, 2018), we also left open the possibility that either of these ways of expressing gratitude may backfire. For example, although romantic partners typically idealize non-contingent giving and receiving with no expectation for immediate reciprocation (Clark et al, 2010), empirical findings have shown that a sense of equity in relationships is also important, and that inequity in the direction of underbenefiting (i.e., feeling as though one receives fewer benefits from the relationship than their partner) can be particularly detrimental for the person’s relationship quality (Lan et al, 2017; Sprecher, 2018). As such, if responsiveness- or cost-highlighting gratitude expressions instill a sense that the benefactor is being underbenefitted, it is possible that either could cause discomfort and conflicting feelings about the relationship for the benefactor.…”

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confidence: 99%

How can I thank you? Highlighting the benefactor’s responsiveness or costs when expressing gratitude

Park

Visserman

Sisson

et al. 2020

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

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Despite growing evidence that showing gratitude plays a powerful role in building social connections, little is known about how to best express gratitude to maximize its relational benefits. In this research, we examined how two key ways of expressing gratitude—conveying that the benefactor’s kind action met one’s needs (responsiveness-highlighting) and acknowledging how costly the action was (cost-highlighting)—impact benefactors’ reactions to the gratitude and feelings about their relationship. Using observer ratings of gratitude expressions during couples’ live interactions ( N = 111 couples), and benefactors’ self-reports across a 14-day experience sampling study ( N = 463 daily reports), we found that responsiveness-highlighting was associated with benefactors’ positive feelings about the gratitude expression and the relationship. In contrast, cost-highlighting had no such effect. These findings suggest that expressing gratitude in a way that highlights how responsive benefactors were may be critical to reaping the relational benefits of gratitude and have practical implications for improving couples’ well-being.

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Inequity of sacrifice and marital satisfaction in Chinese young couples

Cited by 13 publications

References 63 publications

The link between sacrifice and relational and personal well-being: A meta-analysis.

The link between sacrifice and relational and personal well-being: A meta-analysis.

The bittersweet taste of sacrifice: Consequences for ambivalence and mixed reactions.

How can I thank you? Highlighting the benefactor’s responsiveness or costs when expressing gratitude

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