Marigold et al., 2007, Experiment 2: Recalling and reflecting on a complement from romantic partner increased sense of security and value in the relationship among low self-esteem partners over the next 2-3 weeks
Reference:
Marigold, D. C., Holmes, J. G., & Ross, M. (2007). More than words: Reframing compliments from romantic partners fosters security in low self-esteem individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(2), 232.
Download PDFSummary:
People were asked to recall a recent compliment from their romantic partner and to “Explain why your partner admired you. Describe what it meant to you and its significance for your relationship.” As compared to both recalling the circumstances of the compliment and no specific instructions about how to describe the compliment, this led people with low self-esteem to feel more secure in the relationship and to value the relationship more immediately and, over the next 2-3 weeks, to see their partner as behaving more positively toward them and to continue to feel more secure in the relationship.
Psychological Process:
Psychological Question Addressed
Am I loved and valued?Psychological Process 2:
Psychological Process 3:
Heading
Am I loved and valued?Social Area:
Interpersonal relationships and behavior
Intervention Technique:
Prompting with leading questions