The Commitment‐Insurance System: Self‐Esteem and the Regulation of Connection in Close Relationships

Empathy-induced altruism provides benefits for (a) the person in need, (b) other similar people, and (c) the person feeling empathic concern. Specifically, there is evidence that it can produce the following: more and better help for those in need; less aggression toward them; less derogation and blaming of victims of injustice; increased cooperation in conflict situations (business negotiations, political conflicts, and tensions between students in school); less negative attitudes toward stigmatized groups; increased willingness to help these groups; more sensitive and responsive care in close relationships; increased happiness and self-esteem; less stress; more meaning in life; and greater longevity. The list of benefits of empathy-induced altruism for which there is at least preliminary evidence is impressive. Although not a panacea, it can be a powerful force for good.

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Sex Roles and Intimacy in Same Sex and Other Sex Relationships

Psychology of Women Quarterly ◽

10.1111/j.1471-6402.1981.tb00585.x ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 444-455 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Judith L. Fischer ◽

Leonard R. Narus

Keyword(s):

Close Relationships ◽

Sex Roles ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Sex Role ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Same Sex ◽

Female Relationships ◽

Sex Role Stereotyping ◽

Different Types

In a survey of sex roles and intimacy in ongoing, close relationships it was hypothesized that the androgynous would have higher intimacy scores. The androgynous and sex-typed persons did not differ from each other but both were higher on intimacy than the undifferentiated. The only sex role independently related to intimacy was femininity. Based on the patterns of intimacy scores found for different types of relationships, sex-role stereotyping was implicated in the intimacy levels of women and men. The significant role of men's self-esteem in male-female relationships requires further investigation as do the contextual manipulations through which intimates may reduce the negative impact of sex-role stereotyping.

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Romantic Attachment and Subtypes/Dimensions of Jealousy

Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health ◽

10.2174/1745017901006010053 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 53-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Donatella Marazziti ◽

Giorgio Consoli ◽

Francesco Albanese ◽

Emanuela Laquidara ◽

Stefano Baroni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attachment Style ◽

Healthy Subjects ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Romantic Attachment ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Interpersonal Sensitivity ◽

Anxiety Scale ◽

The Self ◽

Experiences In Close Relationships ◽

Preoccupied Attachment

The present study explored the possible relationship between romantic attachment and jealousy in 100 healthy subjects. The romantic attachment and jealousy were evaluated by means of, respectively, the “Experiences in Close Relationships” questionnaire (ECR), and the “Questionario della Gelosia” (QUEGE). The ECR anxiety scale was related to all QUEGE dimensions, while the ECR avoidance scale to three. Individuals with the preoccupied attachment style showed higher scores than secure subjects on the obsessionality, interpersonal sensitivity and fear of loss dimensions. Fearful-avoidant individuals had higher score than secure subjects on the fear of loss dimension only, while dismissing individuals had lower scores on the self-esteem dimension.These findings suggest that romantic attachment and jealousy are intertwined.

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Self-esteem and problem-solving behaviour in close relationships

British Journal of Social Psychology ◽

10.1111/j.2044-8309.1987.tb00792.x ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 26 (4) ◽

pp. 293-303 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Caryl E. Rusbult ◽

Gregory D. Morrow ◽

Dennis J. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Close Relationships ◽

Self Esteem

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The Existential Function of Close Relationships: Introducing Death Into the Science of Love

Personality and Social Psychology Review ◽

10.1207/s15327957pspr0701_2 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 20-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 238

Author(s):

Mario Mikulincer ◽

Victor Florian ◽

Gilad Hirschberger

Keyword(s):

Close Relationships ◽

Terror Management Theory ◽

Terror Management ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Empirical Support ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Management Theory ◽

Cultural Worldview ◽

Psychological Mechanisms ◽

Death Awareness

Originally, terror management theory proposed two psychological mechanisms in dealing with the terror of death awareness-cultural worldview validation and self-esteem enhancement. In this article, we would like to promote the idea of close relationships as an additional death-anxiety buffering mechanism and review a growing body of empirical data that support this contention. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the sociocultural and personal functions of close relationships, we formulate two basic hypotheses that have received empirical support in a series of experimental studies. First, death reminders heighten the motivation to form and maintain close relationships. Second, the maintenance of close relationships provides a symbolic shield against the terror of death, whereas the breaking of close relationships results in an upsurge of death awareness. In addition, we present empirical evidence supporting the possibility that close relationships function as a related yet separate mechanism from the self-esteem and cultural worldview defenses.

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