Do Ideal Partner Preferences Predict Divorce? A Tale of Two Metrics
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21209354 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Paul W Eastwick (0000-0001-8512-8721, Texas A&M University, corresponding author), Lisa A Neff (0000-0002-1919-4410, The University of Texas at Austin) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 667-674 |
| Publication date | 2012-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Psychological and Personality Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1948-5506 • E-ISSN: 1948-5514 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1948550611435941 |
| OpenAlex | W2078085242 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 20 |
| References cited | 35 |
Though people report idiosyncratic desires for particular traits in an ideal romantic partner, few studies have examined whether these ideals predict important long-term relationship outcomes. The present 3.5-year longitudinal study of newlywed couples used survival analysis to investigate whether the match between participants’ ideal preferences and the traits they perceive in their partner predict the likelihood of divorce. Results depended entirely on whether the match was conceptualized as a match in level (e.g., high ideal preference for a trait with the presence of the trait in the partner) or in pattern (e.g., the within-person correlation of ideals with a partner’s traits across all traits). The match between the pattern of ideals and traits negatively predicted divorce with an effect size larger than most established divorce risk factors. However, the match in level was unrelated to divorce, suggesting that perspectives emphasizing ideals for the level of traits may encounter predictive validity problems
Big Five personality traits · Correlation · Developmental psychology · Partner effects · Personality · Preference · Statistics · Trait · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Psychology · Social Psychology
Harmonies of Taste
The predictive validity of ideal partner preferences
Mate preferences do predict attraction and choices in the early stages of mate selection
Consistency and inconsistency among romantic partners over time
In defense of commitment
Why do personality traits predict divorce? Multiple pathways through satisfaction
Sex differences in the implications of partner physical attractiveness for the trajectory of marital satisfaction
Is a meta-analysis a foundation, or just another brick? Comment on Meltzer, McNulty, Jackson, and Karney (2014)
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Conceptualizing and Examining Change in Communication Research
Endorsing benevolent sexism magnifies willingness to dissolve relationships when facing partner‐ideal discrepancies
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A sociocultural framework for understanding partner preferences of women and men
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Ideals, perceptions, and evaluations in early relationship development
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Implicit and explicit preferences for physical attractiveness in a romantic partner
Sex differences in mate preferences revisited
Integrating evolutionary and social exchange perspectives on relationships
Ideals in intimate relationships
Organization of knowledge about a relationship partner
Authenticity and positivity strivings in marriage and courtship
When and why do ideal partner preferences affect the process of initiating and maintaining romantic relationships
Processes affecting scores on "understanding of others" and "assumed similarity
Forming impressions of personality
A model of relational turbulence
The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children
| Unique citing works | 20 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,33 |
| Citation span | 2011 - 2026 (16) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |