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How Relationships Foster Growth: Compassionate Goals Predict Growth-Seeking Through Perceived Available Support
Tao Jiang1, Amy Canevello2, Jennifer Crocker1
1The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|March 26, 2022
Summary
Compassionate goals in relationships predict pursuing personal growth, even when facing challenges. This connection is strengthened by perceived support, independent of relationship security.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Growth-seeking is a tendency to pursue development when encountering difficulties.
- Compassionate goals, defined by benevolent intentions in relationships, may influence personal growth.
- Relationship security is another factor potentially linked to growth-seeking behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if compassionate goals predict growth-seeking.
- To explore the mediating role of perceived support in this relationship.
- To determine if this association is independent of relationship security.
Main Methods:
- Two cross-sectional studies (N=1,032) and two longitudinal studies (N=404 and N=230) were conducted.
- Data were collected via weekly surveys over varying periods.
- Statistical analyses controlled for relationship security.
Main Results:
- Compassionate goals were positively correlated with growth-seeking.
- Compassionate goals predicted increased growth-seeking over time.
- Perceived available support mediated the link between compassionate goals and growth-seeking.
- These findings persisted after controlling for relationship security.
Conclusions:
- Compassionate goals foster growth-seeking, potentially through enhancing perceived support.
- The influence of compassionate goals on growth-seeking appears independent of relationship security.
- Projected perceptions may underlie the intrapersonal process linking compassionate goals to perceived support.
Keywords:
adult attachmentcompassionate goalsinterpersonal relationshipspersonal growthsocial supportMore Related Videos
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