Actor–partner effects of perfectionism on marital satisfaction: Self-disclosure as an interpersonal mechanism

Abstract

Object

The current study examines whether and how self-disclosure, the voluntary sharing of personal thoughts and feelings, explains the behavioral processes through which two dimensions of perfectionism, the drive for perfection (i.e., perfectionistic strivings) and worry about imperfection (i.e., perfectionistic concerns), are associated with both partners' marital satisfaction in different ways.

Background

Although many studies identified the contrasting effects of different dimensions of perfectionism on relationship quality, only a few clearly examined the interpersonal mechanism underlying their distinct effects in a dyadic context. This study aimed to address this research gap.

Method

The study recruited a dyadic sample of 158 mixed-gender married couples from South Korea to investigate their levels of (a) perfectionistic strivings and concerns, (b) self-disclosure, and (c) marital satisfaction using a pencil-and-paper survey. Data were analyzed using the actor–partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) within a structural equation modeling framework.

Results

Perfectionistic strivings were associated with being more open to sharing personal thoughts and feelings (i.e., higher self-disclosure), which in turn predicted higher marital satisfaction for the person exhibiting them and their partner. Conversely, perfectionistic concerns were linked to being less likely to share personal thoughts and feelings, which in turn predicted lower marital satisfaction for both partners.

Conclusion

These results reveal that each partner's self-disclosure significantly explained the processes by which perfectionistic strivings and concerns predicted higher or lower levels of couples' marital satisfaction, respectively.