Positive expectations in the early years of marriage: Should couples expect the best or brace for the worst

The current study examined whether the effects of positive expectations on changes in marital satisfac-tion over the first 4 years of marriage were moderated by the nature of spouses ’ interaction behaviors and relationship attributions. Consistent with predictions, when spouses ’ skills were most positive, positive expectations predicted more stable satisfaction over time whereas less positive expectations predicted steeper declines. Alternatively, when spouses ’ skills were most negative, positive expectations predicted steeper declines in satisfaction over time whereas less positive expectations predicted more stable satisfaction. Thus, in contrast to the idea that expectations in the early years of marriage exert main effects on satisfaction, the current findings suggest that the effects of expectations interact with the skills partners bring to their relationships. Things become better when you expect the best instead of the worst. —Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking (1952) Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed. —Alexander Pope, Letter to Gay (1727; as cited in Bartlett & Dole, 1919/2000) Although they lived centuries apart, poet Alexander Pope (se