Do You See What I See? Actor and Partner Attachment Shape Biased Perceptions of Partners

Authors

Lindsey M. Rodriguez, University of South Florida St. PetersburgFollow
Jennifer Fillo
Benjamin W. Hadden
Camilla S. Øverup
Zachary G. Baker
Angelo M. DiBello

SelectedWorks Author Profiles:

Lindsey M. Rodriguez

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2018

Abstract

The present research examined how actor and partner attachment insecurity relates to biases in perceptions of partners’ core relationship-relevant constructs. Across three dyadic studies (N_couples = 333, N_individuals = 666), we examined attachment anxiety and avoidance as predictors of over- or underestimation of partners’ relationship satisfaction, commitment, and responsiveness, using partners’ own reports as the reference point for evaluating bias. Actors higher in avoidance and actors with partners higher in avoidance perceived their partners to be less satisfied and committed. In addition, actors higher in avoidance and actors higher in anxiety displayed a pessimistic bias, perceiving their partners to be less satisfied and committed than their partners reported being. Finally, actors with partners higher in avoidance displayed an optimistic bias, perceiving their partners to be more satisfied and committed than their partners reported being. Results underscore the importance of adopting a dyadic perspective on perceptual biases in romantic relationships.

Publisher

Sage

Recommended Citation

Rodriguez, L. M., Fillo, J., Hadden, B. W., Øverup, C. S., Baker, Z. G., & DiBello, A. M. (2018). Do You See What I See? Actor and Partner Attachment Shape Biased Perceptions of Partners. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218791782

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.