Handing Over the Reins

Abstract

Initiating and maintaining an intimate relationship means to live an interdependent life in which conflicts of interest are unavoidable. The occurrence and the impact of those conflicts are minimized to the degree to which individuals are motivated and able to put their own goals aside and accommodate to their partner’s needs. In the present research, we examined the underlying processes that allow individuals to tolerate partner dependence when initiating a relationship. Specifically, we hypothesized that under conditions of high motivation to increase closeness to a potential partner, individuals neutralize negative attitudes toward dependence. We induced motivation to increase closeness by instructing participants to image a situation where an attractive mate reciprocates romantic interests. Subsequently, implicit attitudes toward dependence were assessed with an Implicit Association Test. Results were in line with the hypothesis and are discussed in the framework of accommodative self-regulation.