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Commitment insurance: compensating for the autonomy costs of interdependence in close relationships
Sandra L Murray1, John G Holmes, Maya Aloni
1Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260-4110, USA. smurray@buffalo.edu
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|July 29, 2009
Summary
People with low self-esteem may risk their relationships by correcting positive implicit sentiments about partners, unlike high self-esteem individuals who maintain positive illusions, impacting relationship satisfaction.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
- Self-Esteem Research
Background:
- Interdependence in relationships incurs costs to autonomous goal pursuits.
- Self-esteem levels influence how individuals manage these interdependence costs.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for relationship maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and test a commitment-insurance system model.
- To examine how high versus low self-esteem individuals cope with relationship costs.
- To investigate the role of compensatory cognitive processes in maintaining relationship value.
Main Methods:
- Two experimental studies and a daily diary study with newlyweds.
- Measurement of implicit and explicit evaluations of partners.
- Longitudinal assessment of relationship satisfaction over one year.
Main Results:
- Autonomy costs automatically increase implicit partner value.
- High self-esteem individuals consistently compensate for costs.
- Low self-esteem individuals override positive implicit evaluations, risking relationship satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- The commitment-insurance system model explains self-esteem differences in managing relationship costs.
- Failure to compensate for interdependence costs predicts declining marital satisfaction, particularly for low self-esteem individuals.
- Interventions may be needed to help low self-esteem individuals maintain positive relationship perceptions.
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