How do people respond to others with high commitment or autonomy in their relationships?

Abstract

Two studies exposed undergraduate students to a scenario in which a hypothetical other talked about his or her current relationship which was characterized by either a high degree of commitment or a high degree of autonomy. Study 1 demonstrated that the commitment scenario was perceived as characterized by more commitment, and the autonomy scenario was characterized by more autonomy. In Study 2, a laboratory experiment, it was shown that, when they were high in the individual difference characteristic social comparison orientation: (i) men saw the autonomy scenario as more desirable and responded with less negative affect, and (ii) women saw the commitment scenario as more desirable and responded with less negative affect. Among men, the commitment scenario evoked more negative affect than the autonomy scenario, particularly when it was viewed as undesirable. All effects were upheld when controlling for attachment styles.