Partner support for individual self-expansion opportunities: Effects on relationship satisfaction in long-term couples

Human beings have a fundamental drive toward personal growth which they generally pursue through romantic relationships. An experiment tested whether active partner support for self-expansion, compared to passive support, increases relationship satisfaction.

The Role of Romantic Partners in Personal Growth: Exploring Self-Expansion and the Michelangelo Phenomenon

According to the self-expansion theory, people have a deep-seated desire to develop personally, which they typically do through romantic relationships. The Michelangelo phenomenon suggests people rely on their romantic partner to help them grow toward their ideal self.

Individuals thrive when they love and understand their partner, while resource imbalance from insufficient investment harms relationship quality.

Previous research shows that compatibility and sufficient time and psychological resources are crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship. Relationships today are much more likely to fail than they were in the past (i.e., relationships that have developed recently).

Exploring How Active Partner Support for Self-Expansion Boosts Relationship Satisfaction: The Role of Relationship Length

Prior research depicts that partner responsiveness and self-expansion play important roles in the maintenance, creation, and improvement of close relationships. The experiment tested if active partner support for self-expansion, compared to passive support, increases relationship satisfaction.

The study included a sample of 58 couples who received active or passive support messages that came from their partners. In couples who were in a longer term (14–60 months) relationship.When people got active (as opposed to passive) support for actions of self-expansion, relationship satisfaction rose noticeably more. This stated pattern was not evident when partners’ messages responded to a task that was stressful or for couples in short-term relationships.

This specific study can be taken as the first study that provides experimental evidence for effects on relationship satisfaction of partner support that ensured individual self-expansion. Furthermore, the findings purport that there exists a potential substantial importance of relationship length as an important and moderating factor that requires research attention for self-expansion processes.