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Similarity and Positivity of Personality Profiles Consistently Predict
Relationship Satisfaction in Dyads
Brandstätter, Hermann ; Brandstätter, Veronika ; Pelka, Rainer B
Abstract: The effect of similarities in the personality traits of romantic partners on their relationship
satisfaction () has often been studied, albeit with mixed results. Beyond the main effects of personality
traits, incremental validity was often completely missing, or at least very low. In contrast, our five studies,
three cross-sectional - including one study on leader-follower dyads to secure generalizability - and two
longitudinal, show that, in predicting , the beta-coefficients of (where distance is defined as the average
across items of absolute differences between the two partners’ self-ratings) or (where positivity is defined
as the frequency of extremely positive self-ratings) increase when either the of the profiles or the between
the profiles is added as second predictor. Thus, positivity and distance seem to function as reciprocal
suppressor variables that allow controlling for irrelevant components of the predictors. Consequently,
when combined with positivity, distance proved to be a consistently better predictor of than has been
reported in most previous studies. Combining profile distance with profile positivity appears to be
promising well beyond research on , in that an individual profile of traits can be matched with a profile
of a specific environment’s offers and demands when person-environment fit is the focus of interest.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01009
Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich
ZORAURL:https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-162006
Journal Article
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The following work is licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Originally published at:
Brandstätter, Hermann; Brandstätter, Veronika; Pelka, Rainer B (2018). Similarity and Positivity of
Personality Profiles Consistently Predict Relationship Satisfaction in Dyads. Frontiers in Psychology,
9:1009.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01009
ORIGINALRESEARCH
published: 29 June 2018
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01009
Similarity and Positivity of
Personality Profiles Consistently
Predict Relationship Satisfaction in
Dyads
HermannBrandstätter1, Veronika Brandstätter2 and Rainer B. Pelka3
*
1 Institute of Education Science and Psychology, Johannes Kepler University Linz, Linz, Austria, 2 Department of Psychology,
University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, 3 Institute for Applied Statistics, Munich, Germany
Theeffect of similarities in the personality traits of romantic partners on their relationship
satisfaction (RS) has often been studied, albeit with mixed results. Beyond the main
effects of personality traits, incremental validity was often completely missing, or at
least very low. In contrast, our five studies, three cross-sectional – including one study
on leader–follower dyads to secure generalizability – and two longitudinal, show that,
in predicting RS, the beta-coefficients of distance (where distance is defined as the
average across items of absolute differences between the two partners’ self-ratings)
Edited by: or positivity (where positivity is defined as the frequency of extremely positive self-
Mario Weick, ratings) increase when either the positivity of the profiles or the distance between the
University of Kent, United Kingdom profiles is added as second predictor. Thus, positivity and distance seem to function
Reviewedby: as reciprocal suppressor variables that allow controlling for irrelevant components of
Yu Yang,
ShanghaiTech University, China the predictors. Consequently, when combined with positivity, distance proved to be a
Konrad Schnabel, consistently better predictor of RS than has been reported in most previous studies.
International Psychoanalytic University Combining profile distance with profile positivity appears to be promising well beyond
Berlin, Germany
*Correspondence: research on RS, in that an individual profile of traits can be matched with a profile of a
Veronika Brandstätter specific environment’s offers and demands when person-environment fit is the focus of
v.brandstaetter@psychologie.uzh.ch interest.
Specialty section: Keywords: personality, similarity, close relationships, dyads, suppressor variables, actor–partner-
This article was submitted to interdependence-model, structural equation modeling
Personality and Social Psychology,
a section of the journal
Frontiers in Psychology INTRODUCTION
Received: 14 July 2017
Accepted: 31 May 2018 Relationship satisfaction (RS) is generally perceived as being highly important for human well-
Published: 29 June 2018 being (Myers, 1999) and has for decades been a topic of social psychological research and
Citation: counselingpractice.ThepositiveinfluenceonRSofthepartners’sociallydesirablepersonalitytraits
Brandstätter H, Brandstätter V and is the maineffectofpositivity,definedasindividualfrequencyofextremeself-ratings.Theinfluence
Pelka RB (2018) Similarity on RS of the partners’ (dis)similarity in these traits refers to our second global predictor variable,
and Positivity of Personality Profiles understood in statistical terms as the interaction effect between the two partners’ self-ratings and
Consistently Predict Relationship
Satisfaction in Dyads. calculated as an average across items of the absolute differences between the partners’ self-ratings.
Front. Psychol. 9:1009. Themaineffectsofpersonalitytraits are well documented in the literature (Kenny et al., 2006).
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01009 Emotional Stability (Neuroticism reversed), Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and to a lesser
Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org 1 June 2018 | Volume 9 | Article 1009
Brandstätter et al. Similarity and Positivity of Personality Profiles
degreealsoOpennessandExtraversion,aretheBigFivevariables (dissimilarity of personality profiles) are the only explanatory
that are consistently linked to RS. In a meta-analysis, Karney variables in our model of dyadic RS.
and Bradbury (1995) showed that positive self-ascribed traits Many studies report positive effects of similarity on RS, in
tend to predict marital success, whereas negative self-ascribed agreement with popular beliefs, (for instance, Russell and Wells,
traits tend to predict marital failure. Thus, it makes sense to 1991; Acitelli et al., 2001; Luo and Klohnen, 2005; Gaunt, 2006;
look for a global positivity scale encompassing quite diverse self- Gonzaga et al., 2007; Luo et al., 2008; Decuyper et al., 2012).
descriptions of personality traits related to the valuable aspects of However, a number of studies do not confirm the assumed
humanexperienceandbehavior.Suchascaleshouldinturnallow positive effects of similarity. In particular, controlling for the
to predict RS as well as many other positively valued instances of main effects of traits involved in the similarity measures tends
everyday life. to attenuate, if not completely absorb similarity effects (Kenny
We expect that positivity in answering a personality and Acitelli, 1994; Watson et al., 2004; Barelds, 2005; Montoya,
questionnaire will be associated with positivity of observed 2008; Dyrenforth et al., 2010; Altmann et al., 2013; Becker, 2013;
real behavior. In the present paper, we propose to construct a Furler et al., 2013; Tidwell et al., 2013; Wood and Furr, 2016).
positivity measure that is conceptually related to the construct Adding a second predictor in a multiple regression model may
of core self-evaluation, comprising the positively valued traits increase,affectnotatallordecreasethecoefficientofthefirstone.
of self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, internal locus of control, Onlyinthefirstcase, the second predictor is a suppressor. In the
and emotional stability (Judge et al., 2003). Both constructs, third case we may speak of a redundant predictor which means
positivity and core self-evaluation, share the idea of a higher that adding the second predictor makes the first superfluous.
order personality factor encompassing the valence of lower To understand that controlling for positivity can increase or
order personality traits and allowing non-trivial predictions of decrease similarity effects, one needs to integrate the suppressor
subjective experience (e.g., happiness in the relationship) or effect.
objectively observable behavior (e.g., separation or divorce). Considering the inconsistent empirical evidence, it is worth
A second approach to a kind of core self-evaluation is taking a closer and novel, methodologically oriented look at
presented by Caprara et al. (2012). These authors understand the influence of global similarity on RS. Notwithstanding the
the latent construct of positivity as higher order factor, with self- conflicting empirical evidence, we are putting forward the
esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism as observable indicators. hypothesis,tobetestedinfivestudies,thatdistancepredictsRSto
Intheirreportshighpositivity,definedasthetendencytoviewlife a substantial degree. Remember that distance is operationalized
andits experiences with a positive outlook (Caprara et al., 2012), as the mean absolute difference between the partners’ self-ratings
wasassociated with many positively valued outcomes. with respect to 32 bipolar descriptive adjectives (Brandstätter,
Our positivity measure is based on the PASK5 (Brandstätter, 2012). Positivity is operationalized as the individual frequency of
1988, 2012). The PASK5 consists of 32 bipolar adjective pairs extreme positive self-ratings on bipolar scales. Because measures
each of which represents one of the 16PF primary dimensions of similarity are commonly confounded with measures of
(Cattell and Schuerger, 2003). Sample items are “well-balanced— positivity (see, for instance, Wood and Furr, 2016), we must from
irritable,” “self-doubting—self-assured,” “restrained—lively,” thestart think about the combinedeffectsofdistanceandthetwo
“impersonal—outgoing.” In a series of analyses these adjectives partners’ positivity scores.
havealsoprovedasreliablepredictors of the five global factors of Before we consider various ways of measuring similarity and
the NEO-PI-R (Ostendorf and Angleitner, 2005). Our positivity their connection with the positivity of the ratings, we simply ask:
measure is conceptually related to the scales of Judge et al. Whyshouldpartners with similar personality traits feel better in
(2003) and Caprara et al. (2012), because both constructs their relationship than dissimilar ones? These are our theoretical
share – together with our positivity measure – the rationale reasons for the assumption of a positive similarity balance.
of a higher order personality factor encompassing the valence
aspects of lower order traits. However, in the case of PASK5 the Similar Emotions
profiles are built on the level of 32 items, whereas the profiles Gonzaga et al. (2007) show that partners who are similar
of Judge et al. (2003) and Caprara et al. (2012) are based on in their self-ratings of personality traits experience similar
aggregated scales. The core self-evaluation of Judge et al. (2003) emotions in many situations, facilitating understanding each
as well as the positivity construct of Caprara et al. (2012) had other’s spontaneousandintuitiveresponsestocircumstancesand
conceptually proved as sufficiently similar to our positivity events in their common environment (Shiota et al., 2006).
measure that we can derive comparable hypotheses predicting
RS. It is not our intention, though, to review the literature
on higher order personality dimensions, but to show that our Similarity in Coping With Stress
similarity-positivity-model of RS can be integrated into a wider According to the Vulnerability Stress Adaptation Model (Karney
theoretical perspective. and Bradbury, 1995) personality traits are distant causes of
Besides positivity as a predictor of RS, we need to deal behavior. In the context of stress research, personality traits are
with the distance (dissimilarity) between the partners’ profiles. understood as vulnerabilities (in experiencing events as more
The theoretical relationship between distance and RS is more or less stressful) and as specific skills (needed in coping with
complicated than that between positivity and RS, as we will see and adapting to stressful situations). When the partners agree in
in more detail below. Keep in mind, that positivity and distance perceivingeventsorcircumstancesasstressfulandinhowtocope
Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org 2 June 2018 | Volume 9 | Article 1009
Brandstätter et al. Similarity and Positivity of Personality Profiles
with stress, it is easier to avoid and to overcome tensions that PRELIMINARYMETHODOLOGICAL
could impair RS. CONSIDERATIONS
Similarity in Beliefs All five studies that will be reported here use the same personality
At the level of reflected reasoning (for a comparison of intuitive questionnaire (i.e., PASK5, see below), share distance combined
and deliberate judgment, see Gigerenzer, 2007; Kruglanski and with our measure of positivity of personality profiles as a novel
Gigerenzer, 2011), partners with a high degree of similarity will combination of variables predicting RS, and apply structural
support each other’s world view and beliefs (Morry and Graines, equation modeling (SEM) to test the fit between theoretical and
2005
). They find themselves in situations of misunderstanding empiricalvariance-covariancestructures.Wewillthereforebegin
andconflictofvalues,attitudesandintentionslessoften,possibly by reflecting on some methodological issues, which are relevant
due to congruent use of heuristics in judgment and decision to the entire set of studies, before presenting the individual
making. Consequently, they will be better able to develop a studies in detail. In order to facilitate comprehension for the
mutually satisfying relationship. reader,wehaveincludedsomeredundancyinclarifyingstatistical
issues, in particular with respect to measuring positivity and
Similarity and Equity distance.
Similarity implies equity, i.e., the subjective value of resources
given and received is well balanced (Austin and Walster, 1974). Personality Adjective Scales PASK5
Thus, even being similar in negative traits can have some merits Originally developed as proxies for Cattell’s 16PF (Brandstätter,
as, for instance, equality in physical attractiveness is a moment of 1988; Cattell and Schuerger, 2003), the scales were later adapted
stability for the partnership (White, 1980). as short substitutes for the five global scales of the German
version of the NEO-PI-R (Ostendorf and Angleitner, 2005;
Perceived Similarity and Cognitive Brandstätter, 2012). In our studies, however, the focus is not
Consistency on the five global scales, but on the item-based personality
Perceived similarity is both a cause and an effect of liking (Morry profiles, specifically on their global positivity and on the global
andGraines, 2005; Montoya, 2008; Morry et al., 2011). When RS (dis)similarity between the two partners’ personality profiles. In
is high (for some other reason than similarity), perceiving the the person-centered approach, the larger number of scales –
partner as being similar is cognitively consistent (Simon et al., 32 items instead of 5 scales – has the advantage of a higher
2015), therefore rewarding and thus contributing to a positive reliability of the (dis)similarity and positivity measures and of
link between similarity and RS. a higher completeness of the trait facets included. Although,
completing the PASK5 questionnaire only takes about 7 min,
Positive Effects of Dissimilarity: Variety internalconsistency,stability,andconstructvalidityofthePASK5
andComplementarity areverysimilartothoseoftheNEO-PI-R(cf.Brandstätter,2012).
ThegenerallyassumedpositiveeffectofsimilarityonRShasbeen Positivity of Personality Profiles
questioned by Shiota and Levenson (2007), who present data Animportantcharacteristicoftheself-ratingsofpersonalitytraits
from middle aged couples with positive effects of dissimilarity is their positivity or social desirability. One can hardly speak of
on RS. The authors explain their unexpected findings that positivityinratingpersonalitytraitswithoutreferringtoresponse
dissimilar partners provide a stimulating variety of experiences sets, such as acquiescence or social desirability. Response sets are
to each other and develop a kind of specialization in coping commonlytreatedasanuisanceinpersonalityassessment.Notso
with their daily life tasks both of which foster RS. We have to byFerrandoetal. (2009) who have conceptualized a participant’s
consideraspecificformofdissimilarity,thatis,complementarity: sociallydesirableresponsesasvaluableinformationforpredicting
the partners’ opposite characteristics provide satisfaction by and explaining behavior in social situations. Adopting this
compensatingeachother’sweaknesses(e.g.,MarkeyandMarkey, approach, we assume that positivity of personality self-ratings
2007). For example, take the case of a couple where one partner is a summary of sufficiently realistic self-attributions of valuable
is dominant while the other is submissive (Markey et al., 2010). personality traits.
Presumably, this form of complementarity prevents a couple There are, of course, various ways of assessing the positivity
from constant conflict imminent in a relationship with two 1
highly dominant partners. Dominance-submissiveness, though, of a personality profile . For example, experts could judge the
is one of the few dimensions where dissimilarity is related positivity of the items. Weighting the participants’ responses
to positive outcomes in a social interaction (e.g., Tiedens and to the items with the experts’ social desirability scores for the
Fragale, 2003). Actually, the literature provides many more items and aggregating the weighted responses would result
instances of negative effects of dissimilarity than positive effects in a reasonable global positivity measure. Alternatively, one
of complementarity. Thus, it is reasonable to assume that a could simply add the Big Five values (with reversed scoring
score of global dissimilarity as given with distance in our studies for Neuroticism) to produce a composite of positive personality
generally will be correlated with negative experiences in social characteristics. In contrast, our measure of positivity follows a
relationships (see Appendix for an illustration of the trivariate 1Comparing various measures of positivity, though relevant for clarifying its
relationship). construct validity, was beyond the scope of the present studies.
Frontiers in Psychology | www.frontiersin.org 3 June 2018 | Volume 9 | Article 1009
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