Perceiving Greater Commitment Increases Selfishness Among Disagreeable People, 2014-2022

Baker, Levi (2024). Perceiving Greater Commitment Increases Selfishness Among Disagreeable People, 2014-2022. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Service. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-856918

The extent to which people believe their partners are committed to the relationship (i.e., perceived partner commitment) may influence the extent to which people behave in a selfish manner in their relationships; however, theory and research make competing predictions about the direction of this influence. On the one hand, people may behave less selfishly toward partners who they perceive are highly committed because they may reason that those committed partners would be more likely to reciprocate such selfless behavior compared to less committed partners. On the other hand, given that partners are more likely to minimize transgressions and less likely to end a relationship to the extent that they are committed to that relationship, people may behave more selfishly toward partners who they perceive are highly committed because they may expect fewer harmful consequences from behaving selfishly toward committed partners compared to less committed partners. Given these competing theoretical predictions, the current research seeks to identify whether perceived partner commitment increases or decreases intimates’ selfishness. One correlational study consisting of a highly diverse sample of individuals (n = 307), one observational study of newlywed couples (n = 202), and one experiment with undergraduate couples (n = 252) examined whether the implications of perceived partner commitment for selfish behaviors depend on agreeableness. Results demonstrated that perceiving high commitment resulted in more selfish behavior among disagreeable participants (Studies 1-3), but less selfish behavior among agreeable participants (Studies 1 and 3). Together, these results suggest that signaling commitment to disagreeable partners may backfire in romantic relationships.

Data description (abstract)

The extent to which people believe their partners are committed to the relationship (i.e., perceived partner commitment) may influence the extent to which people behave in a selfish manner in their relationships; however, theory and research make competing predictions about the direction of this influence. On the one hand, people may behave less selfishly toward partners who they perceive are highly committed because they may reason that those committed partners would be more likely to reciprocate such selfless behavior compared to less committed partners. On the other hand, given that partners are more likely to minimize transgressions and less likely to end a relationship to the extent that they are committed to that relationship, people may behave more selfishly toward partners who they perceive are highly committed because they may expect fewer harmful consequences from behaving selfishly toward committed partners compared to less committed partners. Given these competing theoretical predictions, the current research seeks to identify whether perceived partner commitment increases or decreases intimates’ selfishness. One correlational study consisting of a highly diverse sample of individuals (n = 307), one observational study of newlywed couples (n = 202), and one experiment with undergraduate couples (n = 252) examined whether the implications of perceived partner commitment for selfish behaviors depend on agreeableness. Results demonstrated that perceiving high commitment resulted in more selfish behavior among disagreeable participants (Studies 1-3), but less selfish behavior among agreeable participants (Studies 1 and 3). Together, these results suggest that signaling commitment to disagreeable partners may backfire in romantic relationships.

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