title: Both trust and self-control are necessary to prevent intrusive behaviors: evidence from a longitudinal study of married couples.
abstract: Many people engage in intrusive behaviors in close relationships. Existing research links intrusive behaviors to a lack of trust and an imbalance between self- and partner-interest. The authors tested the novel hypothesis that people need self-control to regulate intrusive behaviors. Self-control enables people to forgo their self-interests (reassurance or closeness) for the sake of their partner or the relationship. Specifically, we predicted that people need both trust and self-control to refrain from intrusive behavior. One-hundred-eighty-nine couples participated in a prospective longitudinal study with three waves. Consistent with predictions, multilevel analyses revealed an interaction between trust and self-control on intrusive behaviors cross-sectionally as well as longitudinally (albeit marginally). These results provide support for our hypothesis that neither trust in the partner nor self-control is sufficient to forestall intrusive behaviors, but rather both are necessary to refrain from intruding into one's partner's privacy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Child and Family Studies, Faculty of Psychology and Education, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.buyukcantetik@vu.nl
authors.forename: Asuman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buyukcan-Tetik
authors.forename: Catrin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Finkenauer
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuppens
authors.forename: Kathleen D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Vohs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D009426:Netherlands; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D018907:Privacy / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*