Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Couples reported on bases for giving support and on relationship satisfaction just prior to and approximately 2 years into marriage. Overall, a need-based, noncontingent (communal) norm was seen as ideal and was followed, and greater use of this norm was linked to higher relationship satisfaction. An exchange norm was seen as not ideal and was followed significantly less frequently than was a communal norm; by 2 years into marriage, greater use of an exchange norm was linked with lower satisfaction. Insecure attachment predicted greater adherence to an exchange norm. Idealization of and adherence to a communal norm dropped slightly across time. As idealization of a communal norm and own use and partner use of a communal norm decreased, people high in avoidance increased their use of an exchange norm, whereas people low in avoidance decreased their use of an exchange norm. Anxious individuals evidenced tighter links between norm use and marital satisfaction relative to nonanxious individuals. Overall, a picture of people valuing a communal norm and striving toward adherence to a communal norm emerged, with secure individuals doing so with more success and equanimity across time than insecure individuals.

Keywords

attachment styles communal norm exchange norm relationship satisfaction

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Buunk

B.P.

Van Yperen

N.W.

(1991). Referential comparisons, relational comparisons, and exchange orientation: Their relation to marital satisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17, 709–717.

Clark

M.S.

Graham

S.M.

Williams

Lemay

E.P.

(2008). Understanding relational focus of attention may help us understand relational phenomena. In Forgas

Fitness

(Eds.), Social relationships: Cognitive, affective and motivational processes (pp. 131–146). New York: Psychology Press.

Clark

M.S.

Grote

(1998). Why don’t relationship costs always predict lower relationship satisfaction? Review of Personality and Social Psychology, 2, 2–17.

Clark

M.S.

Lemay

E.P.

(2010). Close relationships. In Fiske

S.T.

Gilbert

(Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (pp. 898–940). New York: Oxford University Press.

Clark

M.S.

Mills

(1979). Interpersonal attraction in exchange and communal relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 12–24.

Clark

M.S.

Mills

(in press). A theory of communal (and exchange) relationships. In Van Lange

P.A.M.

Kruglanski

Higgins

(Eds.), The handbook of theories of social psychology. London: Sage.

Clark

M.S.

Monin

J.K.

(2006). Giving and receiving communal responsiveness as love. In Sternberg

R.J.

Weis

(Eds.), The new psychology of love (pp. 200–221). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Clark

M.S.

Waddell

(1985). Perceptions of exploitation in communal and exchange relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 2, 403–418.

Cohen

West

S.G.

Aiken

L.S.

(2003). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

10.

Festinger

(1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.

11.

Hawkins

M.W.

Carrere

Gottman

(2002). Marital sentiment override: Does it influence couples’ perceptions? Journal of Marriage and Family, 64, 193–201.

12.

Hendrick

S.S.

Dicke

Hendrick

(1998). The Relationship Assessment Scale. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 15, 137–142.

13.

Kenny

D.A.

Kashy

D.A.

Cook

W.L.

(2006). Dyadic data analysis. New York: Guilford Press.

14.

Markman

H.J.

(1979). Application of a behavioral model of marriage in predicting relationship satisfaction of couples planning marriage. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 14, 743–749.

15.

Markman

H.J.

(1981). Prediction of martial distress: A 5-year follow-up. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 760–762.

16.

Mikulincer

(1998). Attachment working models and the sense of trust: An exploration of interaction goals and affect regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1209–1224.

17.

Mikulincer

Shaver

(2007). Attachment in adulthood: Structure, dynamics, and change. New York: Guilford Press.

18.

Murstein

B.I.

Cerreto

MacDonald

M.G.

(1977). A theory and investigation of the effect of exchange-orientation on marriage and friendship. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39, 543–548.

19.

Murstein

B.I.

MacDonald

M.G.

(1983). The relationship of “exchange-orientation” and “commitment” scales to marriage adjustment. International Journal of Psychology, 18, 297–311.

20.

Norton

(1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 141–151.

21.

Reis

H.T.

Clark

M.S.

Holmes

J.G.

(2004). Perceived partner responsiveness as an organizing construct in the study of intimacy and closeness. In Mashek

D.J.

Aron

A.P.

(Eds.), Handbook of closeness and intimacy (pp. 201–225). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

22.

Simpson

J.A.

Rholes

W.G.

Phillips

(1996). Conflict in close relationships: An attachment perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 899–914.

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.

0.00 MB

0.01 MB

Ways of Giving Benefits in Marriage

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References

Supplementary Material