Self-Presentation of Romantic Relationships: Audience, Attachment, and the Self-Presentation of Relationship Intimacy

Individuals' self-concepts are inextricably entwined with their relationships [Reis, H. T., Collins, W. A., & Berscheid, E. (2000). Psychological Bulletin, 126, 844–872], and thus it stands to reason that information about close relationships will figure prominently in individuals' self-presentational efforts. Yet, little is known about how individuals present their relationship. We examined whether individuals present information about their relationship differently as a function of both the target audience and the individuals' attachment style. Findings revealed that when individuals expected to interact with a romantic couple (vs. two control conditions) those high in attachment anxiety engaged in greater self-presentational efforts. Implications for understanding how relationship information is self-presented, as well as the goals of individuals with different attachment styles are discussed.