The Effects of Intrinsic Contingencies of Self-Worth and Relationship Authenticity on Romantic Relationship Satisfaction and Romantic Relationship Stability
Location
Guzman 201, Dominican University of California
Start Date
4-17-2019 6:00 PM
End Date
4-17-2019 7:00 PM
Student Type
Adult Degree Completion
Faculty Mentor(s)
Veronica Fruit, PhD
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
A range of definitions and theories exists on the subject of self-esteem. Self-esteem is generally viewed along four main continua: state versus trait, intrinsic versus extrinsic, global versus domain-specific, and contingent versus non-continent (Brown & Marshall, 2006; Crocker & Wolfe, 2001; Heatherton & Polivy, 1991; Schimel, 2001; Vonk & Smit, 2012). The tendency of researchers is to group together the constructs of trait, intrinsic, global, and non-contingent self-esteem into the same general category, and likewise, to group together the constructs of state, extrinsic, domain-specific, and contingency constructs into their own general category. Instead of choosing one category, Vonk and Smit (2012) combine theoretical orientations by asserting that optimal self-esteem is both intrinsic and contingent. In their 2012 study, they found that intrinsic contingency (IC) is positively correlated with authenticity, self-compassion, and personal wellbeing and that people with higher IC rated higher on measures of psychological adaptiveness. Though compelling, no additional studies have tried to replicate the positive correlation between IC and authenticity nor have they examined correlations with other contingencies of self-esteem such as romantic relationships. To fill this gap, I predict that authenticity and IC will each be positively correlated with romantic relationship satisfaction and stability. Participants consisted of 30 people who were recruited from Facebook and a private university in Northern California. Participants completed a survey consisting of the Contingencies of Self-Esteem Scale (Vonk & Smit, 2012), the Authenticity in Relationships Scale (Lopez & Rice, 2006), the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988), and the Expectations about Relationship Stability Scale (Girme et al., 2018). Results are expected to show that both IC and authenticity are positively correlated with romantic relationship satisfaction and stability. Because IC has not yet been evaluated relative to romantic relationships, this study constitutes original research that could inform and strengthen our understanding of the interplay between self-esteem and well-being in romantic relationships. Because both romantic relationships and self-esteem are so closely tied to wellbeing, these findings may have significant implications for life satisfaction.
Keywords:
self-esteem, self-worth, contingent self-worth, contingent self-esteem, intrinsic self-esteem, intrinsic self-worth, extrinsic self-worth, extrinsic self-esteem, contingency of self-worth, relationship authenticity, romantic relationships, romantic relationship stability, romantic relationship satisfaction
The Effects of Intrinsic Contingencies of Self-Worth and Relationship Authenticity on Romantic Relationship Satisfaction and Romantic Relationship Stability
Guzman 201, Dominican University of California
A range of definitions and theories exists on the subject of self-esteem. Self-esteem is generally viewed along four main continua: state versus trait, intrinsic versus extrinsic, global versus domain-specific, and contingent versus non-continent (Brown & Marshall, 2006; Crocker & Wolfe, 2001; Heatherton & Polivy, 1991; Schimel, 2001; Vonk & Smit, 2012). The tendency of researchers is to group together the constructs of trait, intrinsic, global, and non-contingent self-esteem into the same general category, and likewise, to group together the constructs of state, extrinsic, domain-specific, and contingency constructs into their own general category. Instead of choosing one category, Vonk and Smit (2012) combine theoretical orientations by asserting that optimal self-esteem is both intrinsic and contingent. In their 2012 study, they found that intrinsic contingency (IC) is positively correlated with authenticity, self-compassion, and personal wellbeing and that people with higher IC rated higher on measures of psychological adaptiveness. Though compelling, no additional studies have tried to replicate the positive correlation between IC and authenticity nor have they examined correlations with other contingencies of self-esteem such as romantic relationships. To fill this gap, I predict that authenticity and IC will each be positively correlated with romantic relationship satisfaction and stability. Participants consisted of 30 people who were recruited from Facebook and a private university in Northern California. Participants completed a survey consisting of the Contingencies of Self-Esteem Scale (Vonk & Smit, 2012), the Authenticity in Relationships Scale (Lopez & Rice, 2006), the Relationship Assessment Scale (Hendrick, 1988), and the Expectations about Relationship Stability Scale (Girme et al., 2018). Results are expected to show that both IC and authenticity are positively correlated with romantic relationship satisfaction and stability. Because IC has not yet been evaluated relative to romantic relationships, this study constitutes original research that could inform and strengthen our understanding of the interplay between self-esteem and well-being in romantic relationships. Because both romantic relationships and self-esteem are so closely tied to wellbeing, these findings may have significant implications for life satisfaction.
Keywords:
self-esteem, self-worth, contingent self-worth, contingent self-esteem, intrinsic self-esteem, intrinsic self-worth, extrinsic self-worth, extrinsic self-esteem, contingency of self-worth, relationship authenticity, romantic relationships, romantic relationship stability, romantic relationship satisfaction