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Moving toward more perfect unions

Daily and long-term consequences of approach and avoidance goals in romantic relationships

Bibliographic Data

ID6203010
AuthorsEmily A Impett, Emily Impett (0000-0003-3348-7524, University of Toronto), Amie M Gordon (0000-0001-9232-3672, University of California, Berkeley), Aleksandr Kogan (0000-0002-3147-8053, University of Hong Kong), Christopher Oveis (0000-0001-5239-3203, Harvard University), Shelly L Gable (0000-0002-7892-4292, University of California, Santa Barbara), Dacher Keltner (0000-0001-9061-5292, University of California, Berkeley)
Year2010
Volume99
Issue6
Pages948-963
Publication date2010-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/a0020271
PMID20658838
OpenAlexW2143664620
LanguageEN
Citations received80
References cited41

In 2 daily experience studies and a laboratory study, the authors test predictions from approach-avoidance motivational theory to understand how dating couples can maintain feelings of relationship satisfaction in their daily lives and over the course of time. Approach goals were associated with increased relationship satisfaction on a daily basis and over time, particularly when both partners were high in approach goals. Avoidance goals were associated with decreases in relationship satisfaction over time, and people were particularly dissatisfied when they were involved with a partner with high avoidance goals. People high in approach goals and their partners were rated as relatively more satisfied and responsive to a partner's needs by outside observers in the lab, whereas people with high avoidance goals and their partners were rated as less satisfied and responsive. Positive emotions mediated the link between approach goals and daily satisfaction in both studies, and responsiveness to the partner's needs was an additional behavioral mechanism in Study 2. Implications of these findings for approach-avoidance motivational theory and for the maintenance of satisfying relationships over time are discussed

Developmental psychology · Feeling · Mechanism (biology) · Relationship maintenance · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Psychology · Social Psychology

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Unique citing works80
Citations per year5,33
Citation span2011 - 2026 (16)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 75

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