Biomedical subjects

G J Fletcher

Publications and source records attributed to G J Fletcher.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Ideals, perceptions, and evaluations in early relationship development.

This research examined partner and relationship perceptions and ideal standards in 100 individuals over time, from the 1st to the 12th month of their dating relationships. As expected, the results revealed that (a) individuals evaluated their relationships on both distinct evaluative components and global evaluative dimensions, (b) higher ideal-perception consistency was associated with higher perceived quality of relationships and partners, (c) more positive perceptions of partners and relationships at earlier points in time were associated with more importance being placed on relevant ideals over time but not vice versa, and (d) higher levels of ideal-perception consistency predicted lower rates of relationship dissolution but were mediated through perceptions of relationship quality. These results support the ideal standards model (Fletcher & Simpson, in press).

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Ideals in intimate relationships.

This research examined lay relationship and partner ideals in romantic relationships from both a social-cognitive and an evolutionary perspective. Studies 1 and 2 revealed that the qualities of an ideal partner were represented by 3 factors (partner warmth-trustworthiness, vitality-attractiveness, and status-resources), whereas the qualities of an ideal relationship were represented by 2 factors (relationship intimacy-loyalty and passion). A confirmatory factor analysis in Study 3 replicated these factor structures but found considerable overlap across the partner and relationship dimensions. Studies 4 and 5 produced convergent and discriminant validity evidence for all 5 factors. Study 6 indicated that the higher the consistency between the ideals and related assessments of the current partner and relationship, the more positively the current relationship was evaluated.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Love, hate, anger, and jealousy in close relationships: a prototype and cognitive appraisal analysis.

The aim of this research was to make a prototype and cognitive appraisal analysis of 4 emotions within marriage. In Study 1, 160 Ss recalled and wrote about a partner-related love, hate, anger, or jealousy incident. Distinct prototypes and appraisal patterns were obtained. In Study 2, 80 Ss wrote accounts of hypothetical love, hate, anger, and jealousy events in marriage. The results suggested both recalled and hypothetical accounts were derived from the same knowledge structures. In Study 3, Ss matched emotions to events described with varying amounts of prototypical and appraisal information, derived from Study 1. Adding such information significantly increased emotion-matching accuracy over the event-description-only condition. The results are discussed in relation to prototype and cognitive appraisal theories of emotion in close relationships.

Adult↗

PubMed1987

The role of attributions in the development of dating relationships.

In this study, we examine the role of attributions in the context of dating relationships. A large sample completed a questionnaire comprising structured ratings and a free-response relationship description. As expected, cognitive or attributional activity was more frequent within relationships when they were in the early stages, when important choice points or changes were occurring, and when the relationships were perceived as unstable. Also as predicted, subjects who reported higher relationship happiness, commitment, and love for their partners tended to describe the relationship in more interpersonal terms, to rate the causal inputs of the partners as equal, and to attribute lower external attributions for relationship maintenance. Finally, some evidence was obtained that attributions for relationship maintenance are causally related to relationship happiness over a 2-month period. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship between cognitive processing and the development of dating relationships.

Adult↗