Abstract
This chapter reviews the empirical evidence examining the link between self-concept clarity and close romantic relationships. Overall, increased self-concept clarity among partners predicts a variety of positive relationship outcomes, including relationship quality (e.g., satisfaction and commitment), investment , and self-other correspondence that may facilitate relationship functioning. Moreover, relationship dissolution leads to the reduction of self-concept clarity (i.e., self-concept confusion) and subsequent emotional distress. We also review the literature examining the mediating variables in the association between self-concept clarity and romantic relationships, including psychological well-being, self-esteem, identity construction, and prototype matching. Finally, we examine the moderating role that self-concept clarity plays in romantic relationships, specifically related to relationship-induced self-concept change (e.g., self-expansion). This review suggests that self-concept clarity is a valuable construct, which is ripe for future research on the dynamic interplay of self-concept and romantic relationships.
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Notes
- 1.
It is worth noting that these associations may be attributable to age effects (e.g., Lodi-Smith & Roberts, 2010; Lodi-Smith et al., 2017), considering that involvement in long-term committed relationships is correlated with age. Indeed, the associations between relationship involvement and self-concept clarity are significantly weakened when controlling for age.
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McIntyre, K.P., Mattingly, B.A., Lewandowski, G.W. (2017). Self-Concept Clarity and Romantic Relationships. In: Lodi-Smith, J., DeMarree, K. (eds) Self-Concept Clarity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71547-6_6
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