To have and to hold: gratitude promotes relationship maintenance in intimate bonds - Gordon, Kogan, Oveis, Keltner (2012) - Article

According to the writers, what findings prove that gratitude is important for the successful maintenance of intimate bonds?

The writers name three studies. They indicate that several studies show that people who feel more valued by their romantic partners also have more appreciation for their partners. Then they also respond better to the needs of their partners. This is apparent from the first investigation. The second study shows that when partners are more committed, these relationships last longer. The results of the third study show that more appreciative partners, outside of their relationship, are also perceived by others as more responsive and committed.

What are the most important concepts in this article?

The most important concepts in this article are gratitude, appreciation, romantic relationships, risk regulation and relationship management.

About gratitude and intimate bonds

What is the reason for this article?

The writers use a combination of literature about gratitude and risk regulation to test a new process model of gratitude and relationship management. For this they use cross-sectional, daily experience and observational and longitudinal methods.

According to the writers, what findings prove that gratitude is important for the successful maintenance of intimate bonds?

The writers name three studies. They indicate that several studies show that people who feel more valued by their romantic partners also have more appreciation for their partners. Then they also respond better to the needs of their partners. This is apparent from the first investigation. The second study shows that when partners are more committed, these relationships last longer. The results of the third study show that more appreciative partners, outside of their relationship, are also perceived by others as more responsive and committed.

What are the most important concepts in this article?

The most important concepts in this article are gratitude, appreciation, romantic relationships, risk regulation and relationship management.

The writers claim that valuation influences the maintenance of relationships through a multi-step process. Which paths are named?

The first three paths in the model are about predictions regarding valuation and relationship maintenance as an intrapersonal process. Path A shows that the feeling that is appreciated by the partner leads to someone feeling more appreciation for his or her partner. Path B shows that an increased appreciation increases the desire to maintain the relationship. This is an important mechanism that leads to more relationship management. This is reflected in path C. The other two paths, path D and path E, contain the representation of interpersonal transfer of appreciation in dyadic relationships. For example, path D shows that people who feel more valued by their partner when they engage in relationship preservation behavior. In the last path, path E, it emerges that maintenance behaviors are a critical mechanism by which we notice feelings of appreciation between the different partners.

What is the risk regulation system for?

This system helps people investigate through conflicts between possible rejections and improve intimacy. It helps identify when self-protection is needed and when a relationship must be defended. The basic principle of the risk regulation system is the idea that when a feeling is assessed positively by a partner, we are more likely to take a risk. Appreciative feelings, on the other hand, are a reminder of the inherent value and value of a partner. These two assessment aspects together is what influences people to maintain a relationship.

Why did the writers use a dual structure?

Because there is a strong correlation between the two subscales of the AIR scale, they claimed that a model with two factors was better than a valuation model with only one factor. Therefore, they performed a series of confirmatory factor analyzes, using AMOS 18. The result was that a model with two factors had a significantly better fit, than a model with only one factor, and moreover yielded a more generally acceptable fit.

What conclusions do writers draw from the results of their first study?

In the first study, the authors examined three components of their proposed model, or paths A to C. They did this by assessing the relationship between appreciation and responsiveness. For this they used a combined cross-sectional and a 14-day daily experience study of individuals in a romantic relationship. They investigated associations between appreciation and responsiveness in two different ways. For the first method they used the AIR scale and for the second method they used lagging analyzes. The daily part was crucial because they were able to assess the temporal order of their model. They were able to do this by examining changes in valuation and relationship management per day. According to the writers, the first study provides evidence for both transversal and daily experience data for the first three paths of their proposed model. The value of the partner increases the desire to maintain the relationship. This can even go so far that people tailor the needs of their partner to their own priorities. Appreciative people are more satisfied, which makes them more willing to maintain valued relationships.

What conclusions do the authors draw from the results of their second study?

In their second study, the writers focused on the relationship between valuation and relationship management. They test whether the appreciative feelings could predict the stability of relationships over time. They again found evidence that appreciation was an important component for maintaining the relationship. For example, people who appreciated their partner more were more committed to maintaining their relationship. This study also provided evidence that appreciation not only influences how we think and act in a relationship, but also whether we are willing to stay in the relationship over the longer term.