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Trust and partner-enhancing attributions in close relationships
Paul J E Miller1, John K Rempel
1Department of Human Ecology, University of Texas at Austin, USA. pjmiller@mail.utexas.edu
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|May 25, 2004
Summary
In marriages, how couples explain their partner's actions (attributions) and their level of trust influence each other over time. Positive attributions foster trust, while trust also encourages positive explanations.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
- Family Studies
Background:
- Marital trust is crucial for relationship satisfaction.
- Attributional processes, how individuals explain partner behavior, are linked to relationship dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reciprocal relationship between marital trust and attributional processes over time.
- To examine if partner-enhancing attributions predict changes in trust and vice versa.
Main Methods:
- A 2-year longitudinal study using a cross-lagged panel design.
- 75 married couples initially, with 54 re-contacted after 2 years.
- Measures included marital trust, partner behavior/motive ratings, and behavioral observations.
Main Results:
- A reciprocal causal link was found between trust and attributions.
- Partner-enhancing attributions predicted increases in marital trust.
- Marital trust predicted increases in partner-enhancing attributions.
Conclusions:
- Trust and attributional processes dynamically influence each other in marriage.
- Fostering positive attributions may enhance marital trust.
- Strengthening marital trust may encourage more positive interpretations of partner behavior.