The present study investigates the relationship between self-esteem, its interactive patterns within couples, and relationship satisfaction. We employed dyadic response surface analysis (DRSA), an advanced method for examining the links between dyadic interaction patterns and outcome variables. Analyzing data from 731 Dutch heterosexual couples from the Longitudinal internet Studies for the Social Sciences data set across short-term (two-month) and long-term (two-year) timeframes, our findings align with previous research. Both actor and partner self-esteem had significant positive effects on relationship satisfaction, indicating that one’s self-esteem is positively associated with outcomes for both oneself and one’s partner. Additionally, we observed an additive effect where the combined self-esteem of a couple was positively associated with satisfaction. However, an actor superiority effect was noted, where individuals were most satisfied when self-reporting higher self-esteem than their partners, suggesting that one’s own self-esteem plays a more crucial role in their relationship perceptions than their partner’s and that self-esteem may not act as a shared resource. We did not find a significant self-esteem similarity effect on relationship satisfaction. These results were consistent in both timeframe analyses, with and without covariate controls. This study contributes to bridging the gap between existing theoretical models by providing novel insights into how self-esteem patterns within couples relates to relationship wellbeing.
AndersonC.KeltnerD.JohnO. P. (2003). Emotional convergence between people over time. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(5), 1054–1068. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.5.1054
2.
ArikewuyoA. O.EluwoleK. K.DamboT. H.AbdulbaqiS. S. (2022). Do low self-esteem, relationship dissatisfaction and relationship insecurity exacerbate the intention to break up in romantic relationships?Current Psychology, 41(11), 7695–7706. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-01221-1
3.
BelangerC.Di SchiaviM. F.SabourinS.DugalC.El-BaalbakiG.LussierY. (2014). Self-esteem, coping efforts and marital adjustment. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 10(4), 660–671. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v10i4.807
4.
BlomN.VerbakelE.KraaykampG. (2020). Couples’ job insecurity and relationship satisfaction in The Netherlands. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(3), 875–891. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12649
5.
BühlerJ. L.KraussS.OrthU. (2021). Development of relationship satisfaction across the life span: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 147(10), 1012–1053. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000342
6.
BühlerJ. L.WeidmannR.WünscheJ.BurrissR. P.GrobA. (2020). Daily responsiveness, expectations, and self-disclosure: How the average levels and within-person variability of three relationship components mediate personality–relationship transactions in romantic couples. European Journal of Personality, 34(3), 367–392. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2255
7.
BuurenS. v.Groothuis-OudshoornK. (2011). Mice: Multivariate imputation by chained equations in R. Journal of Statistical Software, 45(3), 1–67. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v045.i03
8.
CameronJ. J.GrangerS. (2019). Does self-esteem have an interpersonal imprint beyond self-reports? A meta-analysis of self-esteem and objective interpersonal indicators. Personality and Social Psychology Review: An Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc, 23(1), 73–102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868318756532
9.
Castro-SchiloL.GrimmK. J. (2018). Using residualized change versus difference scores for longitudinal research. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35(1), 32–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407517718387
10.
CortesK.WoodJ. V. (2018). Is it really “all in their heads”? How self-esteem predicts partner responsiveness. Journal of Personality, 86(6), 990–1002. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12370
11.
CortesK.WoodJ. V.PrinceJ. (2019). Repairing one’s mood for the benefit of others: Agreeableness helps motivate low self-esteem people to feel better. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(11–12), 3835–3854. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519840707
DonB. P.GirmeY. U.HammondM. D. (2019). Low self-esteem predicts indirect support seeking and its relationship consequences in intimate relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 45(7), 1028–1041. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218802837
El GhaziriN.DarwicheJ.AntoniettiJ.-P. (2019). Is self-esteem a resource for the parental couple? A longitudinal study on the quality of the romantic and coparental relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(11–12), 3773–3795. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519838349
16.
El GhaziriN.DarwicheJ.AntoniettiJ.-P.OrthU. (2021). Importance of self-esteem for the parental couple: Testing for actor and partner effects. Family Relations, 70(4), 1055–1072. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12532
17.
EmeryL. F.GardnerW. L.CarswellK. L.FinkelE. J. (2021). Who are “we”? Couple identity clarity and romantic relationship commitment. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 47(1), 146–160. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167220921717
18.
ErolR. Y.OrthU. (2013). Actor and partner effects of self-esteem on relationship satisfaction and the mediating role of secure attachment between the partners. Journal of Research in Personality, 47(1), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2012.11.003
19.
ErolR. Y.OrthU. (2014). Development of self-esteem and relationship satisfaction in couples: Two longitudinal studies. Developmental Psychology, 50(9), 2291–2303. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037370
FülöpF.BőtheB.GálÉ.CachiaJ. Y. A.DemetrovicsZ.OroszG. (2022). A two-study validation of a single-item measure of relationship satisfaction: RAS-1. Current Psychology, 41(4), 2109–2121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00727-y
22.
GattisK.BernsS.SimpsonL. E.ChristensenA. (2004). Birds of a feather or strange birds? Ties among personality dimensions, similarity, and marital quality. Journal of Family Psychology: JFP: journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 18(4), 564–574. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.18.4.564
GonzagaG. C.CamposB.BradburyT. (2007). Similarity, convergence, and relationship satisfaction in dating and married couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(1), 34–48. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.93.1.34
25.
HarrisM. A.OrthU. (2020). The link between self-esteem and social relationships: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(6), 1459–1477. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000265
HiewD. N.HalfordW. K.van de VijverF. J. R.LiuS. (2016). Communication and relationship satisfaction in Chinese, Western, and intercultural Chinese–Western couples. Journal of Family Psychology: JFP: Journal of the Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association (Division 43), 30(2), 193–202. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000144
28.
HumbergS.NestlerS.BackM. D. (2019). Response surface analysis in personality and social psychology: Checklist and clarifications for the case of congruence hypotheses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10(3), 409–419. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550618757600
JordanP. J.TrothA. C. (2020). Common method bias in applied settings: The dilemma of researching in organizations. Australian Journal of Management, 45(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/0312896219871976
31.
KardumI.Hudek‐KnezevicJ.MehićN.Banov TrošeljK. (2023). The dark triad traits and relationship satisfaction: Dyadic response surface analysis. Journal of Personality, 00, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12857
32.
KennyD. A.KashyD. A.CookW. L. (2020). Dyadic data analysis. Guilford Publications.
33.
KimJ. J.MuiseA.BarrantiM.MarkK. P.RosenN. O.HarasymchukC.ImpettE. (2021). Are couples more satisfied when they match in sexual desire? New insights from response surface analyses. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 12(4), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550620926770
34.
KwanV. S. Y.KuangL. L.HuiN. H. H. (2009). Identifying the sources of self-esteem: The mixed medley of benevolence, merit, and bias. Self and Identity, 8(2–3), 176–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860802504874
35.
LearyM. R. (2005). Sociometer theory and the pursuit of relational value: Getting to the root of self-esteem. European Review of Social Psychology, 16(1), 75–111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10463280540000007
36.
Martinez GutierrezN.CribbieR. (2021). Incidence and interpretation of statistical suppression in psychological research. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue canadienne des sciences du comportement, 53(4), 480–488. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000267
37.
McGorrayE. L.EmeryL. F.Garr-SchultzA.FinkelE. J. (2023). “Mostly White, heterosexual couples”: Examining demographic diversity and reporting practices in relationship science research samples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 125(2), 316–344. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000417
38.
MiyaharaM.PiekJ. (2006). Self-esteem of children and adolescents with physical disabilities: Quantitative evidence from meta-analysis. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 18(3), 219–234. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-006-9014-8
39.
MundM.JohnsonM. D. (2021). Lonely me, lonely you: Loneliness and the longitudinal course of relationship satisfaction. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(2), 575–597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00241-9
40.
MurrayS. L.HolmesJ. G.CollinsN. L. (2006). Optimizing assurance: The risk regulation system in relationships. Psychological Bulletin, 132(5), 641–666. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.641
41.
MurrayS. L.HolmesJ. G.GriffinD. W. (2000). Self-esteem and the quest for felt security: How perceived regard regulates attachment processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(3), 478–498. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.3.478
42.
MurrayS. L.RoseP.BellaviaG. M.HolmesJ. G.KuscheA. G. (2002). When rejection stings: How self-esteem constrains relationship-enhancement processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 83(3), 556–573. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.83.3.556
PaulhusD. L.RobinsR. W.TrzesniewskiK. H.TracyJ. L. (2004). Two replicable suppressor situations in personality research. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(2), 303–328. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr3902_7
45.
PodsakoffP. M.MacKenzieS. B.LeeJ.-Y.PodsakoffN. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879
RobinsonK. J.CameronJ. J. (2012). Self-esteem is a shared relationship resource: Additive effects of dating partners’ self-esteem levels predict relationship quality. Journal of Research in Personality, 46(2), 227–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2011.12.002
48.
RosenbergM. (1965). Society and the Adolescent Self-Image. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
49.
SadlerP.EthierN.WoodyE. (2011). Tracing the interpersonal web of psychopathology: Dyadic data analysis methods for clinical researchers. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, 2(2), 95–138. https://doi.org/10.5127/jep.010310
50.
SchaffhuserK.WagnerJ.LüdtkeO.AllemandM. (2014). Dyadic longitudinal interplay between personality and relationship satisfaction: A focus on neuroticism and self-esteem. Journal of Research in Personality, 53, 124–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2014.08.007
51.
SchönbrodtF. D.HumbergS.NestlerS. (2018). Testing similarity effects with dyadic response surface analysis. European Journal of Personality, 32(6), 627–641. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.2169
52.
ShanockL. R.BaranB. E.GentryW. A.PattisonS. C.HeggestadE. D. (2010). Polynomial regression with response surface analysis: A powerful approach for examining moderation and overcoming limitations of difference scores. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(4), 543–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-010-9183-4
53.
SpencerC.MalloryA. B.CafferkyB. M.KimmesJ. G.BeckA. R.StithS. M. (2019). Mental health factors and intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization: A meta-analysis. Psychology of Violence, 9(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000156
54.
SrivastavaS.BeerJ. S. (2005). How self-evaluations relate to being liked by others: Integrating sociometer and attachment perspectives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(6), 966–977. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.6.966
55.
StoeberJ.KoboriO.BrownA. (2014). Examining mutual suppression effects in the assessment of perfectionism cognitions: Evidence supporting multidimensional assessment. Assessment, 21(6), 647–660. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191114534884
56.
SwannW. B.ReadS. J. (1981). Self-verification processes: How we sustain our self-conceptions. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 17(4), 351–372. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1031(81)90043-3
57.
TackettS. L.NelsonL. J.BusbyD. M. (2013). Shyness and relationship satisfaction: Evaluating the associations between shyness, self-esteem, and relationship satisfaction in couples. American Journal of Family Therapy, 41(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2011.641864
58.
TaleporosG.McCabeM. P. (2003). Relationships, sexuality and adjustment among people with physical disability. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 18(1), 25–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/1468199031000061245
59.
WatsonA. C.CorriganP.LarsonJ. E.SellsM. (2007). Self-stigma in people with mental illness. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33(6), 1312–1318. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbl076
60.
WeidmannR.PurolM. F.AlabdullahA.RyanS. M.WrightE. G.OhJ.ChopikW. J. (2023). Trait and facet personality similarity and relationship and life satisfaction in romantic couples. Journal of Research in Personality, 104, 104378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2023.104378
61.
WeidmannR.SchönbrodtF. D.LedermannT.GrobA. (2017). Concurrent and longitudinal dyadic polynomial regression analyses of Big Five traits and relationship satisfaction: Does similarity matter?Journal of Research in Personality, 70, 6–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2017.04.003
62.
WoodJ. V.HeimpelS. A.ManwellL. A.WhittingtonE. J. (2009). This mood is familiar and I don’t deserve to feel better anyway: Mechanisms underlying self-esteem differences in motivation to repair sad moods. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96(2), 363–380. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012881
63.
YeS.MaM. Z.SoJ. J. M.NgT. K. (2023). The effects of similarity in personality and values on relationship satisfaction among dating couples: A response surface analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 213, 112306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112306
64.
Zeigler-HillV. (2010). The interpersonal nature of self-esteem: Do different measures of self-esteem possess similar interpersonal content?Journal of Research in Personality, 44(1), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2009.09.005
65.
Zeigler-HillV.BesserA. (2014). Self-esteem and evaluations of targets with ostensibly different levels of self-worth. Self and Identity, 13(2), 146–161. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2013.770194
66.
Zeigler-HillV.MyersE. (2011). An implicit theory of self-esteem: The consequences of perceived self-esteem for romantic desirability. Evolutionary Psychology: An International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior, 9(2), 147–180. https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491100900202
67.
ZuckermanM.GagnéM.NafshiI.KneeC. R.KiefferS. C. (2002). Testing discrepancy effects: A critique, a suggestion, and an illustration. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers: A Journal of the Psychonomic Society, Inc, 34(3), 291–303. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195457
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
