Abstract
Commitment to a relationship is associated with a number of consequences, including willingness to sacrifice for the relationship, greater cognitive interdependence between partners, and increased trust in one’s partner. Consistent with such consequences, we hypothesized that greater commitment is associated with decreased perceptions of one’s partner as a source of harm to the self. We conducted two studies (one correlational, one experimental) to test hypotheses regarding the association between commitment level and personal harm perceptions, based on tenets from interdependence theory and balance theory. Study 1 revealed significant negative associations between commitment and personal harm perceptions. Results from Study 2 suggest that greater commitment leads to decreased perceptions of partner-based risk and increased risky behavioral tendencies.
Date of this Version
3-2011
DOI
10.1080/01973533.2011.614134
Recommended Citation
Agnew, Christopher and Dove, Natalie, "Relationship Commitment and Perceptions of Harm to Self" (2011). Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications. Paper 23.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01973533.2011.614134