Nonmarital Romantic Relationship Commitment and Leave Behavior: The Mediating Role of Dissolution Consideration

Artículo de publicación ISIRomantic relationships are, at their core, friendships. As such, it may be the case that valuing that aspect of the relationship fortifies the romantic relationship against negative outcomes and serves as a buffer against dissolution. We explored the role of valuing friendship within romantic relationships in two two-wave studies examining whether investing in the friendship aspect of the relationship (Study 1; N ¼ 190) and placing importance on affiliative need fulfillment (Study 2; N ¼ 184) were associated with positive concurrent outcomes and positive outcomes over time. Results revealed that valuing the friendship aspect of a romance is a strong positive predictor of concurrent romantic relationship qualities (i.e., love, sexual gratification, and romantic commitment), is associated with increases in these qualities over time and is negatively associated with romantic dissolution. Furthermore, evidence suggests that these benefits come from valuing friendship specifically, rather than any other aspect of the relationship (e.g., the sexual aspect)

show abstract

“…As has been done in previous research (VanderDrift, Agnew, & Wilson, 2009), participants who answered "no" completed a subscale…”

Section: Time 2 Measuresmentioning

confidence: 97%

On the benefits of valuing being friends for nonmarital romantic partners

VanderDrift

Wilson

Agnew

2012

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Moreover, commitment leads to the presence of pro-relationship cognitive biases that correspond with these prosocial behaviors (Agnew & Le, 2014). Specifically, as a way to further promote relationship maintenance, committed individuals devalue and are selectively inattentive to alternatives to the relationship (Finkel, Molden, Johnson, & Eastwick, 2009;Miller, 1997) and think less about the possibility of relationship dissolution (VanderDrift, Agnew, & Wilson, 2009). Thus, in Study 2, we extended the TDM by examining the associations between the four self-processes and several cognitive and behavioral relational outcomes (i.e., dissolution consideration, attention to alternatives, willingness to sacrifice, accommodation, forgiveness, and revenge).…”

Section: The Current Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

When “we” changes “me”

McIntyre

Mattingly

Lewandowski

2014

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Individuals in close relationships may perceive changes to their self-concepts as a result of being with their partners. According to the two-dimensional model of relational selfchange, these changes occur across two dimensions, namely direction, which reflects whether the self-concept has gained or lost content, and valence, which reflects whether the self-concept content is positive or negative. These two dimensions combine to create four distinct self-change processes, whereby individuals gain positive traits (selfexpansion), gain negative traits (self-adulteration), lose positive traits (self-contraction), and lose negative traits (self-pruning). Study 1 used a longitudinal design and revealed that changes in each of the four self-processes were associated with subsequent relationship satisfaction and commitment. To further investigate the association of self-change with relationship quality, Study 2 found that processes associated with self-concept improvement (i.e., self-expansion and self-pruning) were positively associated with relationship maintenance behaviors and motivations (e.g., accommodation, forgiveness, and willingness to sacrifice), whereas processes associated with self-concept degradation (i.e., self-contraction and self-adulteration) were negatively associated with these outcomes and positively associated with behaviors that may harm the relationship (e.g., dissolution considerations, attention to alternatives, and seeking revenge).

show abstract

“…Relationships are experienced as pleasurable (i.e., satisfying) to the extent that they gratify important needs, and not pleasurable to the extent that they fail to gratify or are antithetical to important needs (Drigotas & Rusbult, 1992). The amount of pleasure an individual experiences in a relationship is positively associated with his or her level of commitment to the relationship (Le & Agnew, 2003), which research indicates is one of the most proximal predictors of relationship persistence (VanderDrift, Agnew & Wilson, 2009). …”

Section: Diagnostic Situations Symbolic Outcomes and Need Fulfillmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Need fulfillment and stay–leave behavior

VanderDrift

Agnew

2011

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Need fulfillment has been found to be associated with numerous positive relationship outcomes, but its impact on stay-leave behavior is less clear. In the current study, we considered whether the fulfillment of different needs might differentially affect stay-leave behavior. We distinguished between needs that are personal in nature and those that are relational in nature. Central to our theoretical analysis is the interdependence-based contention that the fulfillment of different kinds of needs provides diagnostic information regarding a partner's motives and intentions regarding a relationship. Using two-wave longitudinal data obtained from romantically involved participants, we tested the relative fit of two alternative models that specified the associations between the fulfillment of different kinds of needs, commitment, and stay-leave behavior. Consistent with an interdependence approach, we found that the influence of the fulfillment of personal needs on stay-leave behavior was mediated by commitment, whereas the fulfillment of relational needs directly influenced stay-leave behavior. Implications for relationship functioning are considered.

show abstract

Nonmarital Romantic Relationship Commitment and Leave Behavior: The Mediating Role of Dissolution Consideration

Cited by 71 publications

References 45 publications

On the benefits of valuing being friends for nonmarital romantic partners

On the benefits of valuing being friends for nonmarital romantic partners

When “we” changes “me”

Need fulfillment and stay–leave behavior

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About