Whatever it takes: Attitude alignment in close relationships following third-party rejection

Individuals seek to affirm their belonging in many ways, but will they change even strongly held attitudes to do so? Attitude alignment is one mechanism by which individuals maintain ongoing relationships. We tested whether individuals would engage in greater attitude alignment (shifting their attitudes to match a romantic partner's attitudes) following rejection. Participants (N = 190) and their dating partners reported their attitudes about 51 social issues and received feedback that a third party (confederate) did or did not reject them. Dating partners then discussed two disagreed-upon social issues: One issue was peripheral to self and central to partner (PC) and one issue central to self and peripheral to partner (CP). Participants completed a post-discussion attitude measure. In the absence of rejection, individuals engaged in greater attitude alignment for PC than CP issues; following rejection, they engaged in similarly high levels of attitude alignment for both issue types. Rejected (vs. not rejected) individuals also engaged in greater attitude alignment for CP issues. Rejection led individuals to change centrally held attitudes typically more resistant to change, arguably to enhance their sense of belonging in a valued relationship.