Self-monitoring and the Initiation of Long and Short-term Romantic Relationships
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Issue Date
2015-04-10
Authors
Keller, Maria
Publisher
Keywords
Attraction , Physical Attractiveness , Relationships , Self-Monitoring , Personality
Abstract
Self-monitoring is the degree to which an individual censors or controls their behavior to fit a particular social environment (Snyder, 1974). High self-monitors are very aware of what others might think of them and modify their behavior to create a positive public image (Snyder, 1974). When considering a potential partner, high self-monitors value physical attractiveness more highly than low self-monitors (Leone & Hawkins, 2006). High self-monitors are also more socially skilled, talkative, expressive, and more likely to initiate humor than low self-monitors (Funder & Harris, 1986). These qualities are related to the fact that high self-monitors tend to be more popular than low self-monitors, who are more likely to be distrustful, irritable, and anxious (Funder & Harris, 1986). Additionally, high self-monitors tend to have greater romantic popularity (Speed & Gangestad, 1997). In a study by Snyder and Simpson (1984), individuals who were not dating one person exclusively had a greater number of partners the previous year if they were high as opposed to low self-monitors. This supports the assertion by Rowatt, DeLue, Strickhouser, and Gonzalez (2001), that high and low self-monitors have different preferences for whom they expect to have a short-term, compared to a long-term relationship with. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore the nature of these differences. A novel relative, rather than absolute, assessment method will be used. We hypothesize that high self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to express a willingness to enter into both short-term and long-term relationships based solely on judgments of physical attractiveness.