Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, P.O. Box 167, 46150, Herzliya, Israel.
Ariel University Center of Samaria, Ariel, Israel.
Arch Sex Behav. 2019 Apr;48(3):703-713. doi: 10.1007/s10508-018-1321-5. Epub 2019 Jan 28.
Long-term romantic commitments may offer many benefits. It is thus unsurprising that people employ strategies that help protect their relationships against the allure of alternative partners. The present research focused on the circumstances under which these strategies are less effective. Specifically, four studies examined the effect of internal relationship threat on expressions of desire for alternative mates. In Study 1, participants reported perceptions of relationship threat, their desire for their partner, and expressions of attraction to alternative mates. In Studies 2-4, participants underwent a threat manipulation and then encountered attractive strangers. Their reactions during these encounters (expressed interest, provision of help, and overt flirtation in Studies 2, 3, and 4, respectively) were recorded. Results showed that experiencing threat led to increased expressions of desire for alternatives. As indicated in Studies 1 and 2, decreased desire for current partners partially explained this effect, suggesting that desire functions as a gauge of romantic compatibility, ensuring that only valued relationships are maintained.
长期的浪漫承诺可能会带来很多好处。因此，人们会采取一些策略来保护自己的关系，使其免受其他潜在伴侣的诱惑，这并不奇怪。本研究主要关注这些策略在哪些情况下效果不佳。具体来说，四项研究考察了内部关系威胁对替代性伴侣欲望表达的影响。在研究 1 中，参与者报告了对关系威胁的感知、对伴侣的渴望以及对替代性伴侣的吸引力表达。在研究 2-4 中，参与者经历了威胁操纵，然后遇到了有吸引力的陌生人。记录了他们在这些相遇中的反应（在研究 2、3 和 4 中分别表示为表达兴趣、提供帮助和公然调情）。结果表明，体验威胁会导致对替代品的渴望增加。正如研究 1 和 2 所示，对当前伴侣的渴望减少部分解释了这种影响，这表明渴望是衡量浪漫兼容性的指标，确保只有有价值的关系得到维持。
