Abstract
The contributions and effort that partners perceive each other to have made to the initiation and maintenance of their relationship may have significant individual and interpersonal consequences. Yet relatively little empirical research has explored such perceptions. The primary goal of the present investigation was to examine how both members of a sample of heterosexual romantic couples (N = 96 couples) perceived the balance of work in regard to both the initiation and the maintenance of their relationship. A second goal was to examine gender differences and similarities in perceptions of relationship work. A third goal was to explore relational outcomes (i.e., satisfaction and commitment) associated with these perceptions, and whether the link between perceptions and relationship outcomes differs as a function of partner gender. As expected, most participants (approximately 70%) perceived balance (equal sharing) in the work of maintaining the relationship. However, a majority (approximately 64%) perceived the work of relationship initiation as imbalanced (i.e., one partner contributing more than the other). Perceptions of balance versus imbalance in the work of relationship maintenance (but not initiation) were associated with satisfaction and commitment to the relationship. Interestingly, the pattern of association was different for men and women. The findings are discussed in terms of equity theory, as well as other theoretical frameworks.
Highlights
The contributions and effort that partners perceive each other to have made to the initiation and maintenance of their relationship may have significant individual and interpersonal consequences
We had predicted that more participants would perceive balance than would perceive imbalance in regard to the work of both relationship initiation and relationship maintenance
Contrary to H1a, a greater percentage of participants perceived that one partner did more of the work of relationship initiation (64.2%) than said the work was balanced or mutually shared (35.8%), Χ2(1) = 15.35, p
Summary
The contributions and effort that partners perceive each other to have made to the initiation and maintenance of their relationship may have significant individual and interpersonal consequences. Researchers have generally neglected the study of perceptions of relationship initiation work, despite widespread recognition of the importance of the initiation phase for later relational outcomes (see Berscheid & Regan, 2005; Clark, Shaver, & Abrahams, 1999) The goals of this investigation were to examine: (1) relationship members’ perceptions of the balance of work at both the initiation and the maintenance stages of their relationship; (2) whether one gender in heterosexual, romantic relationships is perceived as doing more of the work of relationship initiation and relationship maintenance; and (3) relational outcomes (e.g, satisfaction) associated with the perceptions of balance versus imbalance in the work of relationship initiation and maintenance
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