Partner-focused obsessions and self-esteem: An experimental investigation
1Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|June 21, 2015
Summary
Individuals with high partner-focused obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCD) experience lower self-esteem when their partner is unfavorably compared to others. This suggests partner-value self-sensitivity may perpetuate relationship-focused OCD.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Research
Background:
- Relationship-related obsessive-compulsive phenomena (ROCD) significantly impact well-being, often manifesting as partner-focused obsessions and doubts about a partner's flaws.
- Individuals may link their partner's perceived flaws to their own self-worth, increasing sensitivity to intrusive thoughts about their partner's characteristics.
- This research investigates the connection between partner-focused obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms and self-esteem contingent on the perceived value of one's partner.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally assess how partner-focused intrusions affect self-esteem in individuals.
- To examine the role of self-esteem sensitivity to partner value in the context of ROCD.
- To determine if unfavorable partner comparisons impact self-esteem differently based on symptom severity.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted, employing experimental priming to induce partner-focused intrusions.
- Participants were exposed to primes involving unfavorable comparisons of their partner (to alternatives or self) or neutral primes.
- Study 2 utilized a pre-post design to replicate findings and explore the effects of favorable partner intrusions.
Main Results:
- Participants with high partner-focused OC symptoms reported significantly lower self-esteem when primed with unfavorable partner comparisons to others.
- The negative impact on self-esteem was specific to unfavorable comparisons and contingent on the level of partner-focused symptoms.
- Favorable partner intrusions did not yield a positive effect on self-esteem in individuals with high partner-focused symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Self-esteem contingent on partner value appears to be a key perpetuating mechanism in partner-focused OC phenomena.
- These findings highlight the importance of addressing partner-value sensitivity in therapeutic interventions for ROCD.
- Understanding this dynamic can inform strategies to mitigate the impact of intrusive thoughts on self-worth within relationships.
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