Commitment-motivated benign appraisals of partner transgressions: Do they facilitate accommodation?

Abstract

The current investigation examines the hypothesis that commitment predicts increasingly benign appraisals of partner transgressions and that this may in turn lead to greater accommodation. A survey of 226 students in heterosexual dating relationships was conducted. Commitment, the perceived severity of partner transgressions, and accommodation were assessed. Commitment was significantly associated with the discrepancy between participant severity ratings and that of objective raters. Commitment predicted these benign appraisals more for objectively less severe transgressions. Although the commitment-accommodation association was replicated, benign appraisals did not mediate this relationship. However, benign appraisals were differentially associated with voice and loyalty responses, whereby voice was associated with decreased benign appraisals and loyalty with increased benign appraisals.

A Relational Turbulence Model of Communication About Irritations in Romantic Relationships

“…This study also contributes to efforts to link global characteristics of relationships to perceptions of specific interpersonal problems. Prior research has shown that increased commitment or intimacy is associated with more benign appraisals of relational transgressions (Menzies-Toman, Lydon, & Gaines, 2005;Solomon & Samp, 1998). In the present study, the association between intimacy and the perceived negativity of irritations was mediated by relational uncertainty and interference from partners.…”

Does Accommodating a Self-Serving Partner in an International Marketing Alliance Pay Off?

“…An intensified sense of interconnectedness with the partner is consistent with the notion of collective benefits. Even when facing a partner's competitive behavior, it is likely that the committed firm's expectation of mutuality will determine that an accommodative response is in both parties’ best interests (Menzies-Toman and Lydon 2005). Continuance commitment would stimulate the desire, borne out of pragmatism, to enhance and safeguard IMA unity (Gilliland and Bello 2002).…”

The contribution of partner investments to romantic relationship commitment

“…Although individuals had the tendency to react in a destructive manner when faced with such acts (i.e., reciprocity), when negative behavior occurred in more committed relationships, individuals were more likely to engage in transformation of motivation and react with a more constructive behavior instead (e.g., talking about a problem rather than yelling at their partners; Yovetich & Rusbult, 1994), ultimately maintaining and enhancing the relationship. In addition, accommodative behavior is independent of the attributions individuals make about partners' behavior (Menzies-Toman & Lydon, 2005). Although individuals in more committed relationships tended to make more benign attributions about the transgressions partners committed, these attributions did not mediate the relationship between commitment and accommodation.…”