Premium
Self‐esteem and problem‐solving behaviour in close relationships
Author(s) -
Rusbult Caryl E.,
Morrow Gregory D.,
Johnson Dennis J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
british journal of social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 2044-8309
pISSN - 0144-6665
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8309.1987.tb00792.x
Subject(s) - neglect , psychology , self esteem , typology , social psychology , loyalty , developmental psychology , archaeology , psychiatry , political science , law , history
Three studies examined the relationship between self‐esteem and responses to periodic decline in close relationships. A four‐category typology of responses to dissatisfaction was utilized: exit — actively destroying the relationship; voice — actively and constructively attempting to improve conditions; loyalty — passively but optimistically waiting for conditions to improve; and neglect — passively allowing the relationship to deteriorate. It was hypothesized that individuals with stronger self‐esteem would attempt to solve problems in a more active fashion — with exit and voice — whereas those with weaker self‐esteem would react to problems in their relationships in a more passive manner — with loyalty and neglect. The relationship between self‐esteem and generalized problem‐solving styles was explored among university students in study 1, and among adults residing in the local community in study 2. Study 3 explored the relationship between self‐esteem and actual problem‐solving behaviour in the relationships of lesbians, gay males and heterosexual women and men. Consistent with predictions, a meta‐analysis of the results of the three studies revealed that individuals with stronger self‐esteem were more likely to engage in active exit behaviours and were less likely to react with passive neglect. However, self‐esteem was only weakly promotive of loyalty and was unrelated to voice behaviours. Thus, self‐esteem is an effective predictor of negative problem‐solving behaviours in close relationships.