2024/02/01 by Giulia Zoppolat, Francesca Righetti, Mirna Đurić +2 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Psychology · #Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
paper · doi:10.1037/emo0001340
openalex publication_date 2024/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/02
= 176 couples and nine individuals). Across studies, when people experienced greater subjective ambivalence (i.e., explicitly reported feeling mixed and conflicted) toward their partner, they spent more time thinking about the difficulties they faced in their relationship but also about ways in which they can make it better and, in turn, engaged in both constructive (e.g., wanting to spend more time with the partner) and destructive (e.g., ignoring or criticizing the partner) behaviors toward their partner. Ambivalence was also associated with greater fluctuations in both constructive and destructive behaviors daily and over time. This work advances the current knowledge about ambivalence in romantic relationships and further demonstrates that individuals can experience both positive and negative cognitions and behaviors toward a partner when ambivalent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).