scholarly journals Perceptions of close relationship through the Machiavellians´ dark glasses: Negativity, distrust, self-protection against risk and dissatisfaction

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 806-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamás Ináncsi ◽  
Attila Pilinszki ◽  
Tünde Paál ◽  
András Láng

It is commonly known from the literature that Machiavellian individuals have negative attitudes towards people and in general towards the world´s affairs. They are distrustful of the intentions of others, and they get cautiously involved into interpersonal interactions and take risks only if that may not have any severe negative consequence. It is also a fact that there are few ventures in life that potentially involve as much insecurity and personal vulnerability as the establishment and maintenance of close relationships. In our study, we were seeking the answer to the question: do people with high levels of Machiavellianism show a generally negative, distrustful and cautious attitude in their intimate relationships, as well? What effect their pessimistic approaches have on the other consequences of the relationship (satisfaction, commitment, investment, quality of alternatives)? This question was investigated on a dyadic sample of heterosexual couples (N = 101 pairs) with Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). The results of the correlations and actor effects show that men with high levels of Machiavellianism perceive in a negative way not just people in general, but their romantic partners and relationships as well and they experience an increased level of distrust, risk, and dissatisfaction into their close relationships. Women with high levels of Machiavellianism are less negativistic and feel less discontent towards their intimate partner and relationship, but even they are unable to put their distrust and precaution aside. The results of partner effects have revealed that women's Machiavellianism undermines men's trust, while men's Machiavellianism has the effect of minimizing women's investment into their relationship.

1997 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Harvey ◽  
Julia Omarzu

In this theoretical analysis, we argue that a process referred to as minding is essential for a couple to feel mutually close and satisfied in a close relationship overa long period. Minding represents a package of mutual self-disclosure, other forms of goal-oriented behavior aimed at facilitating the relationship, and attributions about self's and other's motivations, intentions, and effort in the relationship. Self-disclosure and attribution activities in minding are aimed at getting to know the other, trying to understand the other's motivations and deeper dispositions as they pertain to the relationship, and showing respect and acceptance for knowledge gained about other. We link the concept of minding to other major ideas and literatures about how couples achieve closeness: self-disclosure and social penetration, intimacy, empathy and empathic accuracy, and love and self-expansion. We argue that the minding process articulated here has not previously been delineated and that it is a useful composite notion about essential steps in bonding among humans. We also argue that the minding concept stretches our understanding of the interface of attribution and close relationships. We present research possibilities and implications and consider possible alternative positions and counterarguments about the merits of the minding idea for close relationship satisfaction.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 1554-1562
Author(s):  
Kevin P. McIntyre ◽  
Brent A. Mattingly ◽  
Sarah A. Gorban ◽  
Morgan A. Cope

Investigations of relationship-induced self-concept change and relationship quality have generally been limited to intraindividual effects (i.e., actor effects). In the current study, we examined whether self-changes influence romantic partners’ perceptions of relationship satisfaction and commitment (i.e., partner effects). Using the actor–partner interdependence model, we tested how four self-concept change processes—self-expansion, self-pruning, self-contraction, and self-adulteration—are associated with relationship satisfaction and commitment. Results revealed robust actor effects across all self-change processes and partner effects on satisfaction for degradation processes only (i.e., self-contraction and self-adulteration), suggesting that self-changes differentially predict individuals’ and partners’ perceptions of the relationship.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Schröder–Abé ◽  
Astrid Schütz

Although theorists have repeatedly emphasized that emotional intelligence should be linked to relationship quality, little empirical research has systematically examined emotional intelligence in romantic relationships using appropriate dyadic designs and analyses. The present research investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and aspects of relationship quality (satisfaction, closeness and commitment). Study 1 was conducted online with 191 heterosexual couples. We found that a person's perceptions of relationship quality were predicted not only by that person's emotional intelligence, but also by the relationship partner's emotional intelligence. In Study 2, these positive actor and partner effects of emotional intelligence on relationship satisfaction and closeness were replicated in a sample of 80 couples in the laboratory. In this context, couples engaged in a conflict discussion, and perspective taking of the partners was rated by the experimenter. Actor–Partner Interdependence Mediation Model showed that perspective taking mediated the effects of emotional intelligence on relationship quality. The present research confirmed the link between emotional intelligence and relationship quality and sheds light on the processes through which emotional intelligence affects the quality of romantic relationships. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 932
Author(s):  
Hanzade Aslan Yılmaz ◽  
Selim Hovardaoğlu

<p>The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between some variables related to close relationships (expectation of the relationship duration, loyalty to the relation, finding the partner attractive, evaluating the quality of the relationship positively, having issues in the relationship, reliance on the relationship, the wish that she/he had never started the relationship, finding the relationship important, happiness with the partner) and the components of Investment Model (relationship satisfaction, quality of alternatives, relationship investment) with self-monitoring which is a variable related to the self concept. For this aim, married or not, 472 participants which have a romantic relationship, completed a personal information form, Snyder’s Self-monitoring Scale (Bacanlı, 1990; Snyder, 1974) and Relationship Stability Scale (Büyükşahin, Hasta,&amp; Hovardaoğlu, 2005; Rusbult, Martz, &amp;Agnew,1998). A logistic regression is conducted to investigate whether the components of Investment Model are relevant to any self-monitoring groups (high self-monitoring or low self-monitoring). Results indicated that quality of alternatives (positively) and having issues in the relationship (negatively) are related to high self-monitoring. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical approaches.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Özet</strong></p><p>Bu araştırmada yakın ilişkilerle ilgili bazı değişkenlerin (ilişki süresine ilişkin beklenti, ilişkiye bağlılık, partneri çekici bulmak, ilişkinin niteliğini olumlu değerlendirmek, ilişkide sorun yaşamak, ilişkide güvende hissetmek, ilişkiye hiç başlamamış olmayı istemek, ilişkiyi önemli bulmak, partnerle mutluluk) ve Yatırım Modeli’nin (Investment Model) unsurları (ilişki doyumu, seçeneklerin niteliğinin değerlendirme, ilişki yatırımı) ile benlik kavramıyla ilişkili izlenim ayarlamacılığı (self-monitoring) değişkeninin ilgili olup olmadığının test edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla, (evli ya da evli olmayan) bir romantik ilişkisi bulunan 472 kişiye kişisel bilgi formu, Kendini Ayarlama Ölçeği (Bacanlı, 1990; Snyder, 1974) ve İlişki İstikrarı Ölçeği (Büyükşahin, Hasta ve Hovardaoğlu, 2005; Rusbult, Martz ve Agnew,1998) uygulanmıştır. Yapılan lojistik regresyon analizi ile araştırma kapsamında ele alınan ve yakın ilişkilerle ilgili değişkenlerin ve Yatırım Modeli unsurlarının yüksek ya da düşük izlenim ayarlamacılığı gruplarından herhangi biriyle ilgili olup olmadığı test edilmiştir. Analiz sonucunda seçeneklerin niteliğini değerlendirme (pozitif olarak) ve ilişkide sorun yaşama  (negatif olarak) değişkenlerinin yüksek izlenim ayarlamacılığı ile ilgili olduğu bulunmuştur. Sonuçlar kuramsal yaklaşımlar çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır.</p>


2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110228
Author(s):  
Alexa Weiss ◽  
Pascal Burgmer

Extending research on self-serving double moral standards (hypocrisy), we examine the reverse pattern of other-serving hypercrisy toward close relationship partners. In three studies ( N = 1,019), for various imagined transgressions, people made more lenient moral judgments for their close friends (Studies 1 & 2) and romantic partners (Study 3) compared to themselves. This hypercrisy effect emerged both for transgressions toward third parties (Study 1) and toward each other (i.e., within the relationship; Studies 2 & 3). Moreover, it was moderated by perceptions of the relationship: Participants who more strongly believed their relationship to be a zero-sum game (i.e., needs can only be met competitively) showed greater leniency for themselves and attenuated hypercrisy for mutual transgressions (Studies 2 & 3). Investigating people’s close others rather than strangers as targets of moral judgment thus suggests that other-serving hypercrisy is more prevalent than previously thought, but sensitive to people’s conceptualizations of their relationships.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Natalia Sabelnikova ◽  
Dmitry Kashirsky ◽  
Olga Garvard

The study investigated young adults’ perceptions of their parents and romantic partners with respect to the quality of attachment to the loved ones. The sample consisted of 78 young Russian men and women aged 19–25 involved in a romantic relationship for at least for 12 months. The employed instruments were the Attachment to Close People Questionnaire (ACOQ), based on the Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire, the Adolescents’ Report of Parental Behavior Inventory, and Leary’s Interpersonal Behavior Measure. Regression analysis was used to analyze the data. The results indicated that the attachment to the mother contributed to attachment to the romantic partner more than the attachment to the father. The attachment security with the partner was associated with the image of the partner.


2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 519-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Seiffge-Krenke

In an 8-year prospective study conducted on 103 subjects, the developmental sequence of and the factors contributing to a bonded romantic outcome in young adulthood were investigated. The subjects’ self-concepts and their relationships with mothers, fathers, and same-sex friends were assessed at the ages of 13, 15, and 17 years. Having a romantic partner and the quality of relationships with romantic partners were assessed at ages 13, 15, 17, and 21 years. Evidence was found for a developmental sequence in romance with respect to differences in the quality and duration of romantic relationships over time. Factor analysis revealed that at age 21, bonded romantic love emerged as a romantic outcome. Two models of romantic relationship development, varying in complexity, were tested. The results revealed that support from parents, friends, and romantic partners as well as self-concept contributed differently to the prediction of bonded love at age 21. Regression analyses revealed that at age of 13, during the initiation phase, the self-concept contributed significantly to the prediction of bonded love in young adulthood. Similarly, during the affection phase, at age 17, the quality of the relationship with the romantic partner was predictive of bonded love in early adulthood. The results were less clear at age 15, during the status phase. In addition, it was found that the importance of the romantic partner as support provider increased as the relationship developed. Contrary to expectations, peer support was found to be important only during later stages of romantic development.


TIMS Acta ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-84
Author(s):  
Nikolina Kuruzović

In order to better understand the phenomenon of the quality of different types of close relationships of adults, we have investigated several determinants which define them more clearly. We focused on the relational differences of the respondents according to several sociodemographic (age, gender, employment, marital status and children) and environmental factors (structure and relationships in the family). A total of 400 males and females, ranging from 19 to 51 years, completed a general questionnaire. It collected the data related to sociodemographic and environmental characteristics, as well as the Social Relations Network Inventory (NRI), which assessed the quality of five types of close relationships. The results indicate significant differences between the respondents in the quality of individual close relationships, based on the factors of age, gender, employment, marital status and parenthood, as well as according to the factors of the quality of family relations and parental marital status. The identified differences are particularly pronounced in terms of the quality of the relationship with the mother and the quality of the relationship with the friend, which is explained by the characteristic nature of these relationships, as well as the developmental roles and tasks of the adulthood.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-155
Author(s):  
Danny Sanjaya Arfensia ◽  
Putu Diana Wulandari ◽  
Respianto Respianto ◽  
Satria Kamal Agassi ◽  
Riris Ristiana ◽  
...  

Technological advances make communication easier for couples who have long-distance relationships. The quality of the relationship between a couple who being apart and being together is not necessarily the same, especially when it comes to intimacy. This study aims to determine the quality of relationships in early adults who undergo long-distance relationships. The qualitative research method was chosen with a case study approach that focuses on how the individual interacts in long-distance relationships. Data collection techniques in this study using interviews. The subjects of this study were 2 early adult couples who had a long-distance relationship between Surabaya and outside Surabaya and the couple had been in a relationship for at least 1 year. The data analysis technique used in this research is thematic analysis technique theory driven. The results indicate that respondent 1 shows relationship satisfaction despite feeling uncomfortable with the relationship being undertake. Respondent 2 showed relationship satisfaction but not appreciate his partner's achievements. From these results can be concluded that the quality of the relationship of each partner who has a long-distance relationship is different.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-90
Author(s):  
Ariadna B. Łada ◽  
Maria Kaźmierczak

Temperamental traits and empathy are both associated with emotional regulation; they thus shape both the quality of an individual’s life and the functioning of his or her social relationships. However, the mediating effects of emotional empathy in the relationship between temperamental characteristics and relationship satisfaction have not been closely analyzed and therefore require further study. This study examined the effects of temperamental arousability – global negative arousability and its components (fear, sadness, discomfort, frustration) – on emotional empathy and, consequently, on relationship satisfaction. One hundred and fifty young adults (104 women, 46 men) aged 20 to 35 participated in the study. The participants had been in romantic relationships for at least six months. The study used a sociodemographic survey and a set of questionnaires which included the Adult Temperament Questionnaire – Short Form, the Empathic Sensitiveness Scale and the RELAT Questionnaire. The results showed that empathic concern fully mediated the relationship between global negative arousability and relationship satisfaction. Furthermore, the effects of fear and sadness on relationship satisfaction were fully mediated by empathic concern and personal distress. Additionally, personal distress fully mediated the relationship between discomfort and relationship satisfaction. Neither empathic concern nor personal distress were mediators in the relationship between frustration and relationship satisfaction. It can therefore be concluded that although partners who exhibit higher global negative arousability report lower relationship satisfaction, they might become more satisfied when being more compassionate and caring towards others.


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