The Effects Of Self-Change In Romantic Relationships On Perceived Relationship Quality:the Mediating Role Of Positivity Ratio

People desire high-quality romantic relationships,but as they spend more time with their partners,they often complain that their partners have changed,resulting in a decline in the perceived relationship quality.Self-change is a common issue in romantic relationships.Previous research has found that the self-change of one’s partner affects the quality of the relationship,but there is limited exploration of the mechanism between the two,and little research has focused on individual self-change or different types of self-change.The two-dimensional model of self-change and the self-expansion theory provide clues to address this problem.The two-dimensional model of self-change suggests that an individual’s self-change can be divided into four types: self-expansion,self-pruning,self-adulteration,and self-contraction.The self-expansion theory posits that individuals add positive content to themselves in relationships,which leads to positive psychological experiences and promotes relationship development.According to this theory,the positivity ratio may mediate the relationship between self-change and perceived relationship quality.Therefore,this study will explore the different effects of individual and relational self-change on perceived relationship quality using both univariate and bivariate perspectives.Study 1 collected cross-sectional data from 600 individuals in romantic relationships using the Relational Self-Change Scale,Positive and Negative Affect Schedule–Expanded Form(PANASX),and Perceived Relationship Quality Components to examine the influence of relational self-change on perceived relationship quality and the mediating role of positivity ratio.The results showed that different types of relational self-change had different effects on perceived relationship quality.Specifically,relational self-expansion and relational self-pruning positively predicted positivity ratio and had a positive direct predictive effect on perceived relationship quality.Relational self-adulteration and relational self-contraction negatively predicted positivity ratio and perceived relationship quality,but their direct effects were not significant.Positivity ratio positively predicted perceived relationship quality in all models.Study 2 collected questionnaire data from 212 couples using the Personal SelfChange Scale,PANASX,and Perceived Relationship Quality Components to investigate the effects of personal self-change on perceived relationship quality and the mediating role of positivity ratio,using an actor-partner interdependence mediation model.The results showed that the subject effect of personal self-change was similar to that of Study 1.In terms of object effects,men had more significant object effects than women,suggesting that men’s personal self-change had a greater impact on their partners’ perceived relationship quality than women’s.The mediation effect of positivity ratio was significant in all models.In summary,this study found that self-change has a dual effect on the perceived relationship quality of couples,and self-change can influence relationship quality by affecting individuals’ positivity ratio.The study distinguished the effects of different types of self-change in romantic relationships and revealed the mediating mechanism of positivity ratio.This can help couples better understand their relationship with each other and select appropriate gender strategies to improve their relationships.It also provides theoretical and empirical evidence and support for clinical practices such as marriage education and couples counseling.