Abstract
Three studies investigated the degree and maintenance of idealized images in the marriage relationship. The first study provided strong evidence that one's image of one's spouse is highly idealized vis-a-vis relevant comparison persons. Studies two and three provided evidence that idealization is maintained through a pattern of biased causal attributions, such that one's spouse is credited with responsibility for good behaviors whereas bad behaviors are regarded as situationally caused. The role that idealization serves in perpetuating marital constructions of reality (Berger & Kellner, 1964) is discussed.
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