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Abstract
Willingness to sacrifice is a pro-relationship behavior in which an individual foregoes immediate self-interest for the sake of a partner or relationship. It has been shown to be associated with both increased relationship satisfaction and commitment. Substantially less research, however, has examined individuals' motivations for sacrificing. Two studies were conducted to examine the effect of approach- and avoidance-motivated sacrifice on relationship satisfaction and commitment. In Study 1, 148 participants completed questionnaires pertaining to relationship quality and motivations for sacrificing. Results indicated that approach motives for sacrifice were consistently positively associated with relationship quality, whereas avoidance motives for sacrifice were largely unrelated to satisfaction and commitment. Study 2 sought to determine if (a) success of sacrifice moderated the relationship between motivated sacrifice and relationship quality, and (b) affect mediated the relationship between success of motivated sacrifice and relationship quality. In Study 2, 118 participants were randomly assigned to one of five experimental conditions: successful approach sacrifice, unsuccessful approach sacrifice, successful avoidance sacrifice, unsuccessful avoidance sacrifice, or control. Based on experimental condition, participants imagined a hypothetical scenario about a self-generated conflict and then completed measures of affect and relationship quality. Results indicated that neither sacrifice motivation nor sacrifice success influenced relationship satisfaction or commitment. That these studies do not clarify the impact of motivated sacrifice on relationship quality speaks to the complexities of sacrificial behavior.
