Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Why We Leave: The Role Of Approach And Avoidance Motivations In Romantic Relationship Dissolution, Emily Connard

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Romantic relationship dissolution (i.e., a breakup) is one of the most stressful events a person can experience. Breakup initiators often encounter a range of emotions (e.g., guilt, depression, anxiety) after leaving their romantic partner. Yet, little is known about how an initiator’s unique motivations for leaving impact their breakup strategies and emotions in the aftermath. The current study examined the association between dissolution motives, breakup strategies, and experienced outcomes in 273 marital and non-marital breakup initiators. As predicted, initiators who left due to approach dissolution motives (e.g., seeking more freedom; draws to leave) experienced greater positive outcomes following a breakup; …