The mating sociometer and attractive others: a double-edged sword in romantic relationships.
Eighty-one participants were recruited to test the sensitivity of the mating sociometer to mate-value feedback in the context of ongoing intimate relationships. Experiences of social rejection/acceptance by attractive opposite-sex confederates were manipulated. The effects of this manipulation on self-esteem, relationship satisfaction and commitment, perceptions of dating alternatives, and friendship-dedication were assessed. Social rejection/acceptance by members of the opposite sex altered relationship satisfaction and commitment; this causal link was amplified by changes in state self-esteem; and these effects were specific to intimate relationships and did not generalize to friendship-dedication. This research supports a domain-specific conceptualization of sociometer theory, extending the theory in important directions.
Phillip Sean
PS
Kavanagh
Garth J O
GJ
Fletcher
Bruce J
BJ
Ellis
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001504:Beauty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012649:Self Concept; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult