Enhancing and Disrupting Cooperative Behavior in Couples: Effects of Dependency and Self-Criticism Following Favorable and Unfavorable Performance Feedback

Abstract

Considerable research has examined the impact of unfavorable feedback on mood and behavior in individuals; however, relatively little research has investigated how favorable and unfavorable feedback may enhance or disrupt cooperative behavior in romantic relationships. The present study examined how favorable and unfavorable performance feedback influenced both mood and interpersonal behavior on a task requiring the participation of both members of a dating couple. In Part 1 of the protocol, dating couples (N = 36 couples) watched short videotaped vignettes of people interacting, after which they received bogus performance feedback concerning the accuracy of their judgements about the vignettes. In part 2, couples were required to complete a second series of vignettes after being told that they performed favorably or unfavorably in comparison to other peer couples. Results showed that the effects of feedback were moderated by dependency and self-criticism, beyond effects due to baseline levels of behavior or due to levels of partner behavior following favorable and unfavorable feedback, that dependency predicted an increase in the frequency of suggestions and agreeable comments following unfavorable feedback, whereas self-criticism predicted a decrease in the frequencies of suggestions and agreeable comments and an increase in the frequency of blaming. Consistent with the proposed vulnerability model, dependency and self-criticism had little effect on cooperative behavior following favorable feedback.