Date Available
4-26-2016
Year of Publication
2016
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Family Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Nathan D. Wood
Abstract
The present exploration of perceptual accuracy and bias in romantic relationships bridges a gap in the literature on the ability of partners to estimate one another’s level of relational and sexual satisfaction, and its impact on their own and their partner’s level of satisfaction. A sample of 50 couples, recruited internationally, in continuously monogamous relationships of at least six-months in length completed online assessments of their relationship. The degree of accuracy and bias of their perception was established by comparing actor’s estimates of their partner’s satisfaction with the partner’s actual, self-reported satisfaction scores. The actor-partner interdependence model (APIM; Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006) revealed significant partner effects (but no actor effects): the underestimation of perceived partner’s sexual and relational satisfaction predicted an increase in partner’s actual sexual and relational satisfaction. Overestimation of partner’s satisfaction, on the other hand, predicted a decrease in partner’s actual satisfaction. Authors hypothesize that under-perception of partner’s satisfaction motivates corrective relationship behaviors, which, in turn, increases the experience of satisfaction of the relationship partner.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/ETD.2016.089
Recommended Citation
Novakova, Lucia, "PERCEPTIONS IN PREDICTING ACTOR AND PARTNER SEXUAL AND RELATIONAL SATISFACTION IN COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS" (2016). Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences. 37.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/hes_etds/37
Included in
Cognition and Perception Commons, Cognitive Psychology Commons, Counseling Psychology Commons
