| Abstract | Ekspanzija self-a (ES) odnosi se na povećanje raznolikosti i kompleksnosti self-koncepta traženjem i stvaranjem novih resursa, perspektiva i identiteta te inkorporaciju tih noviteta u vlastiti self-koncept, a pojedinci se međusobno razlikuju u stupnju u kojem su ju željni doživljavati. Ekspanzija self-a ima razne pozitivne ishode na dobrobit pojedinca, ali nalazi su oprečni kada je riječ o ishodima osobne ekspanzije na partnerske odnose. Osim putem namjerne ekspanzije self-a, pojedinčevo se samopoimanje može promijeniti ljubavnim odnosom i to duž dviju neovisnih dimenzija – smjer i valencija. Kombinacija ovih dviju dimenzija rezultira u četirima kvalitativno jedinstvenim oblicima promjene samopoimanja: adulteracija, kontrakcija self-a, čišćenje i ekspanzija self-a. Glavni cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ispitati odnos motivacije za ekspanzijom self-a, percipirane diskrepancije u njoj i doživljenih procesa promjene self-a u vezi s predanosti partneru te posreduju li toj relaciji zadovoljstvo vezom, ulaganja u vezu i kvalitete alternativa vezi. Naime, predanost u ljubavnom odnosu kao spremnost pojedinca da nastavi trenutnu vezu u ovom je istraživanju koncipirana u terminima modela ulaganja, po kojem je predanost određena trima spomenutim varijablama. Za ispitivanje istraživačkih problema korišten je uzorak od 533 punoljetnih osoba koje su u vezi. Podatci su prikupljeni putem online upitnika koji je sadržavao upitnik o općim podatcima o sudioniku (spol i dob) i ljubavnoj vezi za koju se daju procjene (trajanje i status veze), Skalu Modela ulaganja u odnos (eng. Investment Model Scale, Rusbult i sur., 1998; hrvatska adaptacija Sušac, 2018), Skalu preferencije za ekspanziju self-a (eng. Self-Expansion Preference Scale, Hughes i sur., 2019; adaptirale Ostović i Ćubela Adorić, 2021), Skalu promjene self-a u vezi (eng. Relational Self-Change scale, Mattingly i sur., 2014, adaptirana na hrvatski za potrebe ovog istraživanja). Percipirana diskrepancija partnera u motivaciji za ekspanzijom self-a operacionalizirala se kao apsolutna razlika ukupne motivacije za ES između sudionika i sudionikove procejene svoga partnera. Rezultati upućuju da su više razine osobne motivacije za ES povezane s nižim razinama predanosti, posredno preko nižih razina ulaganja u odnos. Nadalje, manja diskrepancija među partnerima u motivaciji za ES doprinosi višim razinama predanosti i taj je odnos posredovan nižim razinama kvaliteta alternativa vezi te višim razinama ulaganja u vezu i zadovoljstva vezom. Više razine procesa poboljšanja u vezi, kao i sveukupnog poboljšanja povezane su s višim razinima predanosti, a taj je odnos posredovan višim razinama ulaganja u vezu, većim zadovoljstvom i nižim razinama kvaliteta alternativa u vezi. S druge strane, više razine degradirajućih procesa su pozitivno povezane s nižim razinama predanosti posredno preko viših razina kvaliteta alternativa i nižih razina zadovoljstva. Ipak, degradirajući procesi su i doprinijeli višim razinama predanosti posredno preko viših razina ulaganja u odnos, što ukazuje na nekonzistentnu medijaciju. |
| Abstract (english) | Self-expansion (SE) refers to increasing the diversity and complexity of the self-concept through the seeking for and creating of new resources, perspectives and identities and the incorporation of these novelties into one's self-concept. There are interindividual differences in the degree to which they are eager to experience self-expansion. Self-expansion has various positive outcomes for individual well-being, but the findings are ambiguous when it comes to its outcomes on romantic relationship quality. Apart from the intentional expansion of the self, an individual's self-concept can change through a romantic relationship across two independent dimensions - direction and valence. The combination of these two dimensions results in four qualitatively unique forms of self-concept change: self-adulteration, self-contraction, self-pruning and self-expansion. The mean aim of this research was to examine the relationship between self-expansion motivation, perceived partner self-expansion compatibility and relational self-change processes with commitment, and do satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size mediate those relationships. Commitment, as an individual's willingness to continue the current relationship, is in this research conceptualized in terms of the investment model. According to this model, commitment is determined by three previously mentioned variables. The sample of 535 adults in a relationship was used to examine the research problems. The data were collected through an online questionnaire including: sociodemographic questions (sex, age, relationship duration and status), the Investment Model Scale (Rusbult et al., 1998; Croatian adaptation Sušac, 2018), Self-Expansion Preference Scale (Hughes et al., 2019; Croatian adaptation Ostović and Ćubela Adorić, 2021), Relational Self-Change scale (Mattingly et al., 2014, adapted to Croatian for the purposes of this study). The perceived partners discrepancy in the self-expansion motivation was operationalized as the absolute difference in total SE motivation between participants and participants' assessment of their partner. The results indicated that self-expansion motivation were negatively associated with investment size, which in turn was associated with lower levels of commitment. Self-expansion motivation discrepancy between partners was positevely associated with satisfaction and investment size, and negatively associated with quality of alternatives, which was associated with higher levels of commitment. The self-concept improvement processes, as well as overall improvement score, were positively associated with investment size and satisfaction, and negatively associated with quality of alternatives, which in turn was associated with higher levels of commitment. On the other hand, self-concept degradation processes were associated with a higher quality of alternatives and lower satisfaction, which in turn was associated with lower commitment. Nevertheless, self-concept degradation processes also contributed to higher commitment, but indirectly, through higher levels of investment, indicating inconsistent mediation. |
