# The influence of individual and partner self-esteem on relationship satisfaction: evidence from freshman using actor-partner interdependence model

## TL;DR

This study shows how self-esteem and emotional expression in college freshmen affect their relationship satisfaction through mutual influence.

## Contribution

It provides empirical evidence of mutual influence between partners' self-esteem and emotional expression on relationship satisfaction.

## Key findings

- Individual and perceived partner self-esteem are positively linked to emotional expression.
- Emotional expression by one partner is associated with the other's relationship satisfaction.
- Gender differences were found in how self-esteem relates to emotional expression and satisfaction.

## Abstract

This study, grounded on the actor-partner interdependence model, explore how individual and partner self-esteem affect their relationship satisfaction.

Three independent studies were conducted on freshmen recruited from college students’ mental health courses. Study 1 (n = 423) adopted a conflict situation recall task to measure participants’ own and perceived partners’ self-esteem and emotional expression. Study 2 (n = 145) employed the same recall task to assess these variables plus relationship satisfaction for both participants and their perceived partners. Study 3 surveyed 94 couples, measuring self-esteem, emotional expression, and relationship satisfaction for both individuals and their partners.

The results of Study 1 showed that individual self-esteem and perceived partner self-esteem were positively associated with individual emotional expression and perceived partner emotional expression. Study 2 further revealed that individual emotional expression was positively associated with perceived partner relationship satisfaction, and perceived partner emotional expression was positively associated with individual relationship satisfaction. The results of Study 3 indicated that female self-esteem was only positively related with her emotional expression, while male self-esteem was only positively related with his emotional expression. Moreover, female emotional expression was positively associated with male partners’ relationship satisfaction, and male emotional expression was positively associated with female partners’ relationship satisfaction.

These results suggest that individuals and their partners mutually influence each other, affecting emotional expression patterns and ultimately impacting relationship satisfaction. The findings highlight the importance of considering the mutual influence between partners in relationship interventions.