The Fabric of Connection? Exploratory Studies on Being Moved in Committed Relationships

Being moved, also known as kama muta, is an emotion associated with warmth and social connectedness. Although theoretical accounts posit that it may contribute to the development and maintenance of romantic relationships by fostering intimacy, affirming commitment, and reinforcing shared values, empirical research remains limited. To address this gap, we conducted three studies. Study I explored the situational effects of recalling touching events on relationship satisfaction. Building on this, Study II examined whether proneness to being moved is associated with relationship satisfaction, and additionally tested intimacy and closeness as potential mediators, and attachment styles as potential moderators of this link. Study III refined this approach by employing a relationship-specific measure of being moved to assess whether the observed effects generalize when measured within the romantic domain. Study I demonstrated that recalling touching events enhanced satisfaction, particularly among less satisfied individuals. Study II revealed that dispositional being moved was positively associated with satisfaction via intimacy and closeness, and that avoidant attachment attenuated these effects. Study III confirmed these results using the refined measure. Across three studies, being moved emerged as a relational emotion that promotes intimacy and closeness, thereby contributing to relationship satisfaction. By linking situational experiences, dispositional tendencies, and relationship-specific measurement, this research provided preliminary indications of the potential role of kama muta in sustaining romantic bonds.