Abstract
Positive marital illusions have been found in several research paradigms: in marital conventionalization scales that have overly positive descriptions; in marital attribution research; and in overestimates of marital stability. There is also a large literature documenting self-enhancing positive illusions, such as unrealistically high self-evaluations, overestimates of personal control, and unrealistic optimism. This study examined positive illusions about marriage in terms of whether they are primarily related to the self-enhancing illusion of optimism or more closely related to the quality of the relationship. Results from individual- and dyadic-level analyses suggest that positive illusions about marriage are more strongly associated with the quality of the marriage than with optimism, pessimism, or social desirability. The results are discussed in terms of a marital satisfaction maintenance pattern.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 192-208 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Journal of Family Psychology |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 1996 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Psychology(all)
Cite this
Positive marital illusions : Self-enhancement or relationship enhancement? / Fowers, Blaine; Lyons, Eileen M.; Montel, Kelly H.
In: Journal of Family Psychology, Vol. 10, No. 2, 01.06.1996, p. 192-208.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive marital illusions
T2 - Self-enhancement or relationship enhancement?
AU - Fowers, Blaine
AU - Lyons, Eileen M.
AU - Montel, Kelly H.
PY - 1996/6/1
Y1 - 1996/6/1
N2 - Positive marital illusions have been found in several research paradigms: in marital conventionalization scales that have overly positive descriptions; in marital attribution research; and in overestimates of marital stability. There is also a large literature documenting self-enhancing positive illusions, such as unrealistically high self-evaluations, overestimates of personal control, and unrealistic optimism. This study examined positive illusions about marriage in terms of whether they are primarily related to the self-enhancing illusion of optimism or more closely related to the quality of the relationship. Results from individual- and dyadic-level analyses suggest that positive illusions about marriage are more strongly associated with the quality of the marriage than with optimism, pessimism, or social desirability. The results are discussed in terms of a marital satisfaction maintenance pattern.
AB - Positive marital illusions have been found in several research paradigms: in marital conventionalization scales that have overly positive descriptions; in marital attribution research; and in overestimates of marital stability. There is also a large literature documenting self-enhancing positive illusions, such as unrealistically high self-evaluations, overestimates of personal control, and unrealistic optimism. This study examined positive illusions about marriage in terms of whether they are primarily related to the self-enhancing illusion of optimism or more closely related to the quality of the relationship. Results from individual- and dyadic-level analyses suggest that positive illusions about marriage are more strongly associated with the quality of the marriage than with optimism, pessimism, or social desirability. The results are discussed in terms of a marital satisfaction maintenance pattern.
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U2 - 10.1037//0893-3200.10.2.192
DO - 10.1037//0893-3200.10.2.192
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0030521759
VL - 10
SP - 192
EP - 208
JO - Journal of Family Psychology
JF - Journal of Family Psychology
SN - 0893-3200
IS - 2
ER -