Self-expansion as a predictor of attention to alternative romantic partners

Abstract

S S S t t t o o o n n n y y y B B B r r r o o o o o o k k k U U U n n n i i i v v v e e e r r r s s s i i i t t t y y yThe official electronic file of this thesis or dissertation is maintained by the University Libraries on behalf of The Graduate School at Stony Brook University. Stony Brook UniversityThe Graduate School Irene TsapelasWe, the dissertation committee for the above candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, hereby recommend acceptance of this dissertation. Study 1 examined the relative influence of romantic love, commitment, and relational self-expansion in reducing attention to attractive alternatives. Study 2 examined need for self-expansion (in one's life in general) and how this may affect attention to, and memory for, alternatives, as well as the type of alternatives one may find appealing. Love for the iii partner predicted reduced visual attention to photos of attractive alternatives. Love, commitment, and relational self-expansion were associated with reported attention to alternatives. Further, need for self-expansion predicted memory for (but not attention to) alternatives that differed from the partner in terms of self-expansion promoting attributes, which could therefore supplement one's level of self-expansion. Implications regarding the application of the self-expansion model to the study of infidelity are discussed, as well as potential directions for future research.iv