Relationship-enhancement and relative self-effacement

Abstract

Two studies investigated the tendency of people to enhance their close relationship and to efface oneself in front of their partners. In Study 1, 193 college students estimated the extent to which their best friendship is better than other's best friendship. Overall, they showed a strong tendency of enhancing own relationship; they rated their best friendship to be better than the average. Within the close relationship, however, they showed self-effacement; they rated their best friends, compared with themselves, in more positive way. In Study 2, 41 husband-wife couples attended as subjects. Again, they showed marital relationship-enhancement and relative self-effacement. Furthermore, their subjective happiness was mainely explained by own relationship enhancement. These results were discussed from several points.