Seeds of love: Positivity bias mediates between passionate love and prorelationship behavior in romantic couples

Abstract

Passionate love (PL) is a central concept in romantic relationships, yet the process through which it enhances relationship maintenance remains unclear. The current research included two studies of daily relationship experiences among dating couples ( N = 203) and newlyweds ( N = 173). We examined the contribution of PL to greater daily prorelationship behavior and the role of idealized views of romantic partners in explaining this association. Furthermore, we examined the unique effect of PL on prorelationship behavior beyond relationship commitment. Results indicated that positivity bias mediated the association between PL and prorelationship behavior, and this effect was independent of commitment. Conversely, relationship commitment did not predict prorelationship behavior beyond PL. These findings highlight the role of positively biased perceptions in explaining how the motivational experience of PL translates into daily acts and suggest that daily behaviors shaped by PL may support long-term goals of relationship maintenance.