Seeing one’s partner through intimacy-colored glasses: The role of intimacy goals in predicting relationship satisfaction in college women

This research extends previous work demonstrating that individ-uals with intimacy goals experience greater relationship satisfac-tion by examining three distinct processes that may underlie this association (e.g., engaging in intimacy-conducive interactions with their partners, having intimacy-focused partners, perceiv-ing partners as intimacy focused). The study included 100 female college students who completed measures of intimacy goals, patterns of relationship interaction, perceptions of their partner’s intimacy goals, and relationship satisfaction. Their dating partners also completed the intimacy goals measure. Results indicate that individuals with intimacy goals engage in particular patterns of interaction and perceive their partners as having intimacy goals, although there was no association between own and partner’s goals. Moreover, women’s perceptions of their partners ’ intimacy goals partially mediated the intimacy goals– relationship satisfaction link. Considerable research in both personality psychology and close relationships has shown the importance of inti-macy to relationship satisfaction (Berscheid, 1983; Kelley, 1979). Relationship satisfaction is enhanced when indi-viduals have greater emotional involvement in their rela-tionships (Rubin, Hill, Peplau, & Dunkel-Schetter, 1980) and engage in self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence with their partners (Altman & Taylor, 1973; Hendrick