Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology.
Department of Psychology.
J Exp Psychol Gen. 2020 Oct;149(10):1950-1968. doi: 10.1037/xge0000750. Epub 2020 Mar 9.
People in close relationships often need to sacrifice their own preferences and goals for the partner or the relationship. But what are the consequences of such sacrifices for relationship partners? In this work we provide a systematic investigation of the consequences of sacrifice in romantic relationships, both for the person who gives up their goals as well as for the recipient of these benefits. In 5 studies combining experience sampling and experimental methods, we examined whether performing and receiving sacrifices is linked to the experience of ambivalence, that is, mixed feelings toward a partner. In the last 3 studies, we also examined the specific positive and negative reactions associated with sacrifice. Results revealed that performing and receiving sacrifices are both linked to ambivalence toward a romantic partner. Recipients of sacrifices experienced higher negative mood, guilt, and feelings of indebtedness, but these were accompanied by higher positive mood, gratitude, and feeling appreciated by the partner. Sacrificers mostly experienced negative reactions, such as higher negative mood, frustration, and feelings of exploitation, but they also reported some positive reactions, such as feeling happy from benefitting their partner, proud of themselves for being a good partner, and had increased expectations that their partner would reciprocate the sacrifice in the future. In sum, this work provides the first comprehensive study of the emotional reactions that are triggered by sacrifice and shows that sacrifice is a double-edged sword with both positive and negative consequences. Implications for sacrifice and ambivalence are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
在亲密关系中，人们常常需要为伴侣或关系牺牲自己的喜好和目标。但是，这种牺牲对关系伙伴有什么后果呢？在这项工作中，我们系统地调查了浪漫关系中牺牲的后果，包括放弃目标的人以及接受这些好处的人。在 5 项结合经验采样和实验方法的研究中，我们考察了执行和接受牺牲是否与矛盾情感有关，即对伴侣的复杂感受。在最后 3 项研究中，我们还考察了与牺牲相关的具体积极和消极反应。结果表明，执行和接受牺牲都与对浪漫伴侣的矛盾情感有关。接受牺牲的人会体验到更高的负面情绪、内疚和负债感，但同时也会感到更高的积极情绪、感激和被伴侣欣赏。牺牲者主要体验到负面反应，如更高的负面情绪、挫败感和被剥削感，但他们也报告了一些积极反应，如因为使伴侣受益而感到快乐，为自己是一个好伴侣而感到自豪，并增加了对伴侣在未来回报牺牲的期望。总之，这项工作首次全面研究了牺牲引发的情绪反应，并表明牺牲是一把双刃剑，既有积极的后果，也有消极的后果。讨论了牺牲和矛盾情感的含义。
