Self-evaluation maintenance and competition in close relationships

Citing the communal nature of committed relationships, Tesser's (1993) extension of his Self-Evaluation Maintenance model predicts a diminished positive response to outperforming a partner and a diminished negative response to being outperformed by a partner on an issue that is highly self-relevant. Previous research has supported this extension in situations high in self-relevance or high in partner relevance but has failed to examine situations high in relevance to both partners. This dissertation examines the SEM model in this specific situation. Three laboratory studies and one field study found strong support for the extended SEM model in both scenario and actual situations of high self relevance to both partners in a close relationship. The results suggest that the observed differences in affect are not due to a communal orientation as posited by the extended SEM but rather indicate a conflict or struggle within the individual. The implications of these findings and the limitations of these studies are discussed.