Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here to submit your manuscript to SPPS

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Smithson, M.
Right arrow Articles by Baker, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Risk orientation, loving, and liking in long-term romantic relationships

Michael Smithson

The Australian National University, Michael.Smithson{at}anu.edu.au

Cathy Baker

The Australian National University

This study investigates three hypotheses: Similarity between romantic partners in risk taking predicts partner liking and loving; risk taking in either partner correlates negatively with liking and loving; and these tendencies are accentuated in particular risk domains. A survey of 147 heterosexual couples tests these hypotheses in six risk domains. The similarity hypothesis is supported in all domains for perceived self/ partner differences but most emphatically in ethical risks. Likewise, higher self-reported risk taking and higher ratings of partner's risk taking negatively predict loving and liking, but only in specific domains. Overall, risk orientations in ethical, health, and gambling domains are the best predictors of loving and liking. Findings are discussed regarding theory and research on criteria for "ideal" partners in long-term romantic relationships.

Key Words: couples • liking • love • risk • sensation seeking • similarity

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Vol. 25, No. 1, 87-103 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0265407507086807
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?