1948550618757599.pdf (274.31 kB)
To “see” is to feel grateful? A quasi-signal detection analysis of romantic partners’ sacrifices
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 05:45 authored by Mariko VissermanMariko Visserman, Emily A Impett, Francesca Righetti, Amy Muise, Dacher Keltner, Paul A M Van LangeAlthough gratitude plays a central role in the quality of relationships, little is known about how gratitude emerges, such as in response to partners’ sacrifices. Do people need to accurately see these acts to feel grateful? In two daily experience studies of romantic couples (total N = 426), we used a quasi-signal detection paradigm to examine the prevalence and consequences of (in)accurately “seeing” and missing partners’ sacrifices. Findings consistently showed that sacrifices are equally likely to be missed as they are to be accurately detected, and about half of the time people “see” a sacrifice when the partner declares none. Importantly, “seeing” partners’ sacrifices—accurately or inaccurately—is crucial for boosting gratitude. In contrast, missed sacrifices fail to elicit gratitude, and the lack of appreciation negatively colors the partner’s satisfaction with the relationship when having sacrificed. Thus, these findings illustrate the power that perception holds in romantic couples’ daily lives.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Social Psychological and Personality ScienceISSN
1948-5506Publisher
SAGE PublicationsExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
10Page range
317-325Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2023-01-03First Open Access (FOA) Date
2023-01-03First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2023-01-03Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC