Accuracy and bias in self-perceptions of responsive behavior: implications for security in romantic relationships.

Abstract

The current research examined self-perception of responsive behavior as a process through which perceivers who highly value romantic partners generate security that they are valued by those partners. People hold naive theories that their responsive behavior elicits positive sentiments from others, such as satisfaction, positive regard, and commitment, and they believe their unresponsive behavior elicits negative sentiments. Accordingly, 2 dyadic behavioral observation studies, one involving conflict interactions (Study 1) and one involving support interactions (Study 2), suggested that people who value partners achieve security that they are valued by their partners through both accurate and biased self-perceptions of responsive behavior. Perceivers who valued partners accurately perceived their more responsive behavior enacted toward partners, which bolstered their confidence that they were valued by partners (accurate self-perception). In addition, perceivers who valued partners had biased and exaggerated perceptions of their own responsive behavior, which also bolstered their perceptions of being valued by partners (biased self-perception). Examination of memories of responsive behavior 2 weeks and 6 months following interactions (Study 2) suggested that perceivers' memories of their own responsive behavior derived from a mix of accuracy and bias, which predicted changes in relationship security over time. These findings underscore the importance of perceivers' representations of their responsive behavior, both accurate and biased, as determinants of their own relationship security.