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Losing a self‐expanding relationship: Implications for the self‐concept
Author(s) -
LEWANDOWSKI GARY W.,
ARON ARTHUR,
BASSIS SHARON,
KUNAK JOHNNA
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
personal relationships
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.81
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1475-6811
pISSN - 1350-4126
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00120.x
Subject(s) - closeness , psychology , social psychology , recall , self , priming (agriculture) , positive relationship , cognitive psychology , mathematics , mathematical analysis , botany , germination , biology
Previous research suggests that new relationships expand the self‐concept. The present research applies concepts from the self‐expansion model to examine the conditions under which relationship dissolution may influence the self‐concept. We hypothesized that the more expansion provided by a relationship predissolution, the greater the contraction of the working self‐concept postdissolution, and that this pattern would remain when controlling for predissolution closeness. These hypotheses were tested using recall of relationship qualities for recently dissolved relationships (Studies 1 and 2), as well as with a priming experiment (Study 3). The findings over the 3 studies supported both hypotheses. Those with higher levels of self‐expansion in predissolution relationships showed more detrimental impact on their working self‐concept postdissolution, even after controlling for predissolution closeness.