The Relationship between intimacy and passion: gender, relationship length, physical attractiveness as moderators

Date

2015

Author

Aykutoğlu, Bülent

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The aim of this study is to examine the the relationship between intimacy and passion in close relationships with respect to the passion model suggesting that changes in intimacy predicts passion (Baumeister & Bratslavsky, 1999). Gender, relationship length, physical attractiveness are expected to have a moderator effect on the relationship between intimacy and passion. Apart from actor's intimacy, partner's intimacy is expected to have an effect on actor's passion. For this aim, a diary study was conducted. 150 participants (75 couples) participated in the study. The participants were asked to complete daily records that include items measuring intimacy, passion, and physical attractiveness for 14 consecutive days. The results of daily analysis showed that daily intimacy scores were positively associated with daily passion scores for both women and men. The results of lagged analysis showed that the previous day's intimacy did not predict the present day's passion whereas the previous day's passion predicted the present day's intimacy. Relationship length and physical attractiveness of the partner moderated the relationship between intimacy and passion only for women. Gender did not moderate the relationship between intimacy and passion. The results indicated that the current model was not sufficient to explain the relationship between intimacy and passion and should be improved. These results were discussed in the frame of relevant literature.

Subject Keywords

Intimacy (Psychology)., Emotions., Desire., Affect (Psychology)., Interpersonal relations., Psychology M.S. thesis

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12618541/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/24460

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis