The Dynamics of Self–Esteem in Partner Relationships

Abstract

Previous research on the role of self-esteem in partner relationships indicates that it is both predictive of and predicted by variables such as relationship satisfaction. However, most of these studies were constrained to only relationship satisfaction, cross-sectional or individual data. In the present study, we examine the dynamic interplay between self-esteem and both broad (i.e. relationship satisfaction) and specific aspects of relationship quality (independence and connectedness) reflecting the fulfilment of agentic and communal needs in stable partner relationships from both an intrapersonal perspective and an interpersonal perspective. Study 1 assessed 186 individuals at three measurement occasions over 15 years and suggests a common developmental dynamic between self-esteem and relationship satisfaction, as indicated by initial correlations and correlated changes. In Study 2, actor and partner effects in stable couples (N = 2124 dyads) were examined over a period of three years. It was found that self-esteem and all three aspects of relationship quality are dynamically intertwined in such a way that both previous levels and changes in one domain predict later changes in the other domain. Together, the findings indicate that self-esteem is consequential for the development of a variety of relationship aspects but likewise influenced by these very aspects.

The Winding Paths of the Lonesome Cowboy: Evidence for Mutual Influences Between Personality, Subjective Health, and Loneliness

“…The results found for loneliness additionally correspond to findings regarding the role of social relationships in personality development (Lehnart & Neyer, ; Mund, Finn, Hagemeyer, Zimmermann, & Neyer, ; Mund & Neyer, ; Robins, Caspi, & Moffitt, ). Broadly speaking, those studies found that experiences in self‐selected, intimate relationships exert influences on personality development.…”

Daily Responsiveness, Expectations, and Self-Disclosure: How the Average Levels and Within-Person Variability of Three Relationship Components Mediate Personality–Relationship Transactions in Romantic Couples

“…In line with previous research (e.g. Davila et al, 1999;Mund et al, 2015;Neyer & Asendorpf, 2001;Robins et al, 2002), we found that a lower level of relationship satisfaction was linked to an increase in the target's avoidant attachment and to an increase in the partner's anxious attachment across 6 months. Again, it was contrary to our prediction that we found no significant effects for neuroticism and low self-esteem.…”

Self-Esteem and Relationship Satisfaction during the Transition to Motherhood

“…In two other studies that used five waves of data spread over 12-years (Orth et al, 2012) and two waves of data with a four-year time interval (Neyer & Asendorpf, 2001), self-esteem predicted change in relationship quality, whereas relationship quality did not predict change in self-esteem in young adulthood. In addition, Mund, Finn, Hagemeyer, and Zimmermann (2015) found that self-esteem and relationship satisfaction were dynamically intertwined in two multiwave longitudinal datasets of adults. Within the first dataset consisting of young adults that were followed for 15 years across four waves, change in self-esteem and change relationship satisfaction were positively linked across all assessments.…”