Adapted Self-Affirmation and Conflict Management in Romantic Relationships

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karina Schumann ◽  
Emily Grace Ritchie ◽  
Anna Dragotta
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
The Self ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Constructive Conflict ◽  
Big Picture ◽  
Destructive Conflict ◽  
One Year ◽  
Self Protection ◽  
At Will

Conflict can threaten our romantic relationships if managed ineffectively. Because destructive conflict responses are often fueled by self-protection motives, we theorized that protecting the self via self-affirmation could foster more constructive conflict responses. But how might people spontaneously use self-affirmation to improve their conflict practices? In a longitudinal intervention study (N=242) with romantic couples, we tested whether instructing partners to place themselves in the frame of mind that self-affirmation theoretically fosters—a big-picture focus that cultivates an expansive view of the self and reflection on one’s important values—could help people manage their conflicts more effectively. Compared to a control condition, couples who were instructed to take this “big-picture” focus reported more constructive conflict responses (e.g., empathy; responsiveness) and greater relationship functioning (e.g., higher relationship quality; lower avoidance) both immediately and one year after the intervention. This study thus offers a strategy people can use at will to improve their relationships.

Meta-analytic evidence that we-talk predicts relationship and personal functioning in romantic couples

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2624-2651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Karan ◽  
Robert Rosenthal ◽  
Megan L. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Romantic Partners ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Relationship Outcomes ◽  
First Person Plural ◽  
Personal Functioning

Interdependence is a hallmark of romantic relationships, and first-person plural pronoun use (“we-talk”) can indicate interdependence between self and other. We-talk often positively, but sometimes negatively, relates to relationship and personal functioning. A meta-analysis of 30 studies supported a positive association overall between one’s own and partners’ we-talk and relationship and personal functioning, as well as each of five indicators (relationship outcomes, relationship behaviors, mental and physical health, and health behaviors) for individuals in romantic relationships. Partner use of we-talk was generally more strongly related to relationship functioning than own use. Females’ and spouses’ use of we-talk was related more to males’ and patients’ functioning, respectively. In general, our results revealed that we-talk was most strongly associated with relationship functioning and that partner effects tended to be stronger than actor effects. Both patterns of meta-analytic findings support the notion that we-talk reflects interdependence between romantic partners.

Narcissism and perceived power in romantic relationships

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Vrabel ◽  
Virgil Zeigler-Hill ◽  
Mark Lehtman ◽  
Karen Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Romantic Relationship ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Self Defense ◽  
Self Protection ◽  
Romantic Relationship Functioning ◽  
Perceived Power

The purpose of the present research was to examine the connections that narcissistic admiration (an agentic form of narcissism characterized by assertive self-enhancement and self-promotion) and narcissistic rivalry (an antagonistic form of narcissism characterized by self-protection and self-defense) had with perceived power in the context of romantic relationships. The results of Study 1 ( N = 375) revealed that narcissistic admiration had a positive association with perceived power, whereas narcissistic rivalry was not associated with perceived power. In Study 2 ( N = 352), we extended the findings from Study 1 by examining whether perceived power moderated the associations that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had with romantic relationship functioning. The results revealed that narcissistic admiration and narcissistic rivalry had unique and divergent associations with romantic relationship functioning. Further, the results showed that perceived power moderated the association that narcissistic rivalry had with romantic relationship functioning. Discussion focuses on the implications of these results for understanding the connection between narcissism and perceived power in romantic relationships.

Implicit theories of relationships and self-expansion: Implications for relationship functioning

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1579-1599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent A. Mattingly ◽  
Kevin P. McIntyre ◽  
C. Raymond Knee ◽  
Timothy J. Loving
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Implicit Theories ◽  
The Self ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Implicit Beliefs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Relationship Types ◽  
Over Time

Individuals hold implicit beliefs about the nature of romantic relationships. Growth beliefs are characterized by thoughts that romantic relationships can be cultivated over time, whereas destiny beliefs are characterized by thoughts that relationships are either meant to be or not. In the current research, we propose that individuals who hold strong growth beliefs (but not destiny beliefs) should be more likely to experience self-expansion, as these individuals are oriented toward relationship cultivation. In turn, this increase in self-expansion should promote greater relationship quality and maintenance. Across three studies (two cross-sectional and one longitudinal) that sampled from varying populations and relationship types, we found evidence that self-expansion mediates the association between growth beliefs (but not destiny beliefs) and satisfaction, commitment, accommodation, and dissolution consideration. These data provide insights into the mechanisms by which implicit theories influence relationship functioning and establish implicit theories as an individual-level antecedent to the self-expansion experience.

Outsourcing the Self

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunil Bhatia
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The Self ◽  
New Middle Class ◽  
First World ◽  
Class Youth ◽  
Call Center Workers

This chapter analyzes how call center workers, who are mostly middle- and working-class youth, create narratives that are described as expressing modern forms of “individualized Indianness.” The chapter demonstrates how call center workers produce narratives of individualized Indianness by engaging in practices of mimicry, accent training, and consumption; by going to public spaces such as bars and pubs; and by having romantic relationships that are largely hidden from their families. The narratives examined in this chapter are created out of an asymmetrical context of power as young Indians work as “subjects” of a global economy who primarily serve “First World” customers. The interviews with Indian youth reflect how tradition and modernity, mimicry and authenticity, collude with each other to dialogically create new middle-class subjectivities.

scholarly journals Values and Virtues as Correlates of Quality and Stability of Romantic Relationships and Marriage in a Post-Socialist Transitional Society

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
Maja Kus Ambrož ◽  
Jana Suklan ◽  
Dejan Jelovac
Keyword(s):  
Romantic Relationships ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Intimate Relationship ◽  
The Self ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Relationship Stability ◽  
Value System ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Empirical Survey ◽  
Transitional Society

An individual’s value system plays an important role in their intimate relationship or marriage. Most marital satisfaction research to date has been carried out in high-income liberal Western societies. We conducted an original quantitative empirical survey of virtues and values to examine their effect on relationship quality and stability in a sample of 511 respondents from Slovenia, a post-socialist society in transition. The results showed that respondents rated health, love, and safety at the top of their hierarchy of values. The key finding was that the presence of love was associated with an individual’s subjective perception of relationship quality but had no effect on the self-evaluation of relationship stability. In addition to love, both family safety and comfort were significant correlates of relationship quality while self-respect was negatively correlated with relationship quality. Only excitement was found to have a statistically significant effect on relationship stability.

Comparing polymer-filled versus self-expanding endografts in Chinese patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 667-676
Author(s):  
Yuk Law ◽  
Yiu Che Chan ◽  
Stephen Wing-Keung Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair ◽  
Aortic Aneurysms ◽  
The Self ◽  
Chinese Patients ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Type Ia ◽  
One Year ◽  
Aneurysm Repair

Introduction We performed a single-center nonrandomized study on patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair using polymer-filled or other self-expanding endografts. Methods Consecutive patients with asymptomatic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent endovascular repair were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into a polymer-filled ( n = 20) or self-expanding group ( n = 42). Baseline characteristics, operative mortality and morbidity, and follow-up data were compared. Results Aneurysm diameter, neck and iliac morphologies did not differ between the two groups. Technical success was 100%. The 30-day mortality was 0% and 2.4% in the polymer-filled and self-expanding group, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 17 months, the changes in sac size were −2.1 mm and −5.1 mm ( p = 0.144) at one year, and −3.5 mm and −7.7 mm ( p = 0.287) at 2 years in the polymer-filled and self-expanding group, respectively. The polymer-filled group had 7 (35%) type II endoleaks, and the self-expanding group had 1 (2.4%) type Ia and 13 (31%) type II endoleaks. Neck diameter remained stable in the polymer-filled stent-grafts whereas there was progressive neck degeneration in the self-expanding group. The rates of reintervention and overall survival were similar in both groups. The presence of an endoleak was the only predictor of non-regression of the aneurysm (odds ratio = 17.00, 95% confidence interval: 4.46–64.88, p < 0.001). Conclusion Polymer-filled endografts had similar safety, effectiveness, and durability to other self-expanding endografts. The major advantage is the small iliofemoral access. They also have the potential long-term benefit of a more stable neck.

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