Effect of Self-Esteem on Relationship Enhancement Processes

自尊心强的人通常比自我怀疑的人更满意和稳定的婚姻和约会关系。尽管满足关系对身心健康的重要性，但人们对自尊与关系幸福感之间的联系机制知之甚少。这项研究是基于这样一个假设，即反映评价--对伴侣对自我的看法--在自尊与依恋和关系价值化过程之间起着中介作用，而依恋和关系价值化过程对关系的幸福和稳定至关重要。研究的主要目的是：（1）证明低自尊的人对严重的个人和关系威胁的反应是怀疑他们的伴侣持续的积极关注，并通过自我保护发现他们的关系价值较低;（2）证明高自尊的人通过增加他们的关系价值来补偿自我和关系威胁;（3）研究这些动态对关系幸福和稳定的短期和长期影响;（4）研究自尊低的人如何通过强调接受的偶然性和过度沉浸在关系中的自我感的工作模型来激活自我保护动机，这些动机会干扰关系增强过程。目前正在对已婚夫妇进行纵向日常经历研究。这项研究提供了一个日常检查慢性自尊，急性自我和关系的威胁，反映评价，关系增强过程之间的联系。两年一次的随访检查了这些动态对婚姻幸福和稳定的长期影响。

People with high self-esteem generally report more satisfying and stable marital and dating relationships than do people who are troubled by self-doubt. Despite the importance of satisfying relationships for both physical and mental health, little is known about the mechanisms linking self-esteem to relationship well-being. This research is based on the assumption that reflected appraisals - perceptions of a partner's regard for the self - mediate the link between self-esteem and the processes of attachment and relationship-valuing that are critical for relationship well-being and stability. The primary goals of the research are to: (1) demonstrate that people who have low self-esteem react to acute personal and relationship threats by doubting their partners' continued positive regard and by self-protectively finding less value in their relationships; (2) demonstrate that people high in self-esteem compensate for self and relationship threats by increasing the value of their relationships; (3) examine the short- and long-term consequences of these dynamics on relationship well-being and stability; and (4) examine how self-protection motives that interfere with relationship-enhancement processes for people low in self-esteem are activated by working models that stress the contingencies of acceptance and a sense of self that is overly enmeshed in the relationship. A longitudinal daily experiences study with married couples is being conducted. The study provides a day-to-day examination of the links among chronic self-esteem, acute self and relationship threats, reflected appraisals, and relationship-enhancement processes. Two yearly follow-ups examine the long-term effects of these dynamics on marital well-being and stability.