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Purposeful Partners: Potential Relationship Quality and Sense of Purpose

Authors:
Isabella D'Ottone at University of Miami
Isabella D'Ottone
Gabrielle N. Pfund at Auburn University
Gabrielle N. Pfund
Patrick L. Hill
Patrick L. Hill
Patrick L. Hill
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Abstract

Studies have shown that people with a higher sense of purpose are more satisfied with, committed to, and invested in their romantic relationships (Pfund et al., 2020). However, the mechanisms between positive relationship outcomes and sense of purpose are still unclear. To better understand the role sense of purpose may play in providing satisfaction in a relationship, the current study investigated whether the level of sense of purpose of a dating partner affects participants’ rating of potential romantic quality with the dating partner. Furthermore, the research examined if their purpose orientation, the content or subject matter of one’s sense of purpose, also contributes to perceived romantic quality with a potential partner. Undergraduate participants (N=119) read different dating profiles which described individuals with either a high or low sense of purpose. Each of the high purpose dating profiles have a purpose orientation associated with either prosocial orientation, relationship orientation, financial orientation, or creative orientation. After reading each dating profile, participants rated their level of potential relationship quality with the dating profiles. Paired samples t-tests revealed that dating profiles that espoused prosocial, relationship, or creative purpose orientations were rated as having higher potential relationship quality than the low purpose profile. The financial purpose orientation profile did not differ from the low purpose profile in level of potential relationship quality. Correlations showed that the more a participant identified with a certain purpose orientation, the higher they rated potential relationship quality of dating profiles with the same orientation. Results provide insight into the role sense of purpose and purpose orientation plays in perceived potential relationship quality and attraction.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology (2024) 9:489–510
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41042-023-00136-z
1 3
RESEARCH PAPER
Purposeful Partners: Potential Relationship Quality
andSense ofPurpose
IsabellaC.D’Ottone1 · GabrielleN.Pfund2· PatrickL.Hill1
Accepted: 19 October 2023 / Published online: 20 November 2023
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Abstract
Studies have shown that people with a higher sense of purpose are more satisfied
with, committed to, and invested in their romantic relationships (Pfund etal., 2020).
However, the mechanisms between positive relationship outcomes and sense of pur-
pose are still unclear. To better understand the role sense of purpose may play in
providing satisfaction in a relationship, the current study investigated whether the
level of sense of purpose of a dating partner affects participants’ rating of poten-
tial romantic quality with the dating partner. Furthermore, the research examined
if their purpose orientation, the content or subject matter of one’s sense of purpose,
also contributes to perceived romantic quality with a potential partner. Undergradu-
ate participants (N=119) read different dating profiles which described individuals
with either a high or low sense of purpose. Each of the high purpose dating profiles
have a purpose orientation associated with either prosocial orientation, relationship
orientation, financial orientation, or creative orientation. After reading each dating
profile, participants rated their level of potential relationship quality with the dating
profiles. Paired samples t-tests revealed that dating profiles that espoused prosocial,
relationship, or creative purpose orientations were rated as having higher potential
relationship quality than the low purpose profile. The financial purpose orientation
profile did not differ from the low purpose profile in level of potential relationship
quality. Correlations showed that the more a participant identified with a certain
purpose orientation, the higher they rated potential relationship quality of dating
profiles with the same orientation. Results provide insight into the role sense of pur-
pose and purpose orientation plays in perceived potential relationship quality and
attraction.
Keywords Sense of purpose· Purpose orientation· Commitment· Intimacy·
Passion
* Isabella C. D’Ottone
idottone@wustl.edu
1 Department ofPsychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University inSt. Louis, St.Louis,
MO, USA
2 Department ofMedical Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
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