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Exploring relationship protection strategies within social comparison contexts
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Brennan, Kyle. Exploring relationship protection strategies within social comparison contexts. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-yktc-4k22

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TitleExploring relationship protection strategies within social comparison contexts
NameBrennan, Kyle (author); Cole, Shana (chair); Nicolas, Gandalf (member); Wilder, David A (member); Rutgers University; School of Graduate Studies
Date Created2023
Other Date2023-01 (degree)
SubjectSocial psychology, Psychology, Bolstering, Comparisons, Devaluation, Relationships, Romantic, Social
Extent46 pages
DescriptionOver the past few decades, the close relationships literature has offered mixed conclusions about the role of social comparisons in predicting relationship outcomes. While earlier studies found that romantic partners tend to evaluate their relationship less positively after an upward comparison than a downward comparison, more recent research suggests that relationship social comparisons do not significantly predict relationship satisfaction. An underexplored aspect of the existing work is the processes by which people may defend their relationships against threatening comparison information. In the present work, I test two protective strategies—domain devaluing and relationship bolstering—people may use to buffer against adverse social comparison information and help regulate relationship satisfaction. Using a relationship social comparison manipulation, I found support for devaluation as a strategy that people employ in response to negative comparison information. However, neither devaluation nor bolstering appeared to mediate the relationship between relationship social comparisons and relationship satisfaction. The present work furthers an understanding of the role of relationship social comparisons in satisfaction.
NoteM.S.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Genretheses
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-yktc-4k22
LanguageEnglish
CollectionSchool of Graduate Studies Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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