title: Signaling when (and when not) to be cautious and self-protective: impulsive and reflective trust in close relationships.
abstract: A dual process model is proposed to explain how automatic evaluative associations to the partner (i.e., impulsive trust) and deliberative expectations of partner caring (i.e., reflective trust) interact to govern self-protection in romantic relationships. Experimental and correlational studies of dating and marital relationships supported the model. Subliminally conditioning more positive evaluative associations to the partner increased confidence in the partner's caring, suggesting that trust has an impulsive basis. Being high on impulsive trust (i.e., more positive evaluative associations to the partner on the Implicit Association Test; Zayas & Shoda, 2005) also reduced the automatic inclination to distance in response to doubts about the partner's trustworthiness. It similarly reduced self-protective behavioral reactions to these reflective trust concerns. The studies further revealed that the effects of impulsive trust depend on working memory capacity: Being high on impulsive trust inoculated against reflective trust concerns for people low on working memory capacity.
authors: Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, State University of New York Buffalo, NY 14260-4110, USA. smurray@buffalo.edu
authors: Sandra L
authors: SL
authors: Murray
authors: Rebecca T
authors: RT
authors: Pinkus
authors: John G
authors: JG
authors: Holmes
authors: Brianna
authors: B
authors: Harris
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Gomillion
authors: Maya
authors: M
authors: Aloni
authors: Jaye L
authors: JL
authors: Derrick
authors: Sadie
authors: S
authors: Leder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003380:Courtship / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013360:Subliminal Stimulation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D014936:Word Association Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult