It is proposed that satisfaction is associated with idealistic, rather than realistic, perceptions
of one's partner. To provide baselines for assessing relationship illusions, both members of …

It is proposed that satisfying, stable relationships reflect intimates' ability to see imperfect
partners in idealized ways. In this study of long-term benefits (or possible costs) of positive …

This study examined the long-term consequences of idealization in marriage, using both
daily diary and questionnaire data collected from a sample of 168 newlywed couples who …

It is proposed that satisfying, stable relationships reflect intimates' ability to see imperfect
relationships in somewhat idealized ways-to make a leap of faith. Both members of dating …

Perceived discrepancy between one's ideal and actual partner has been shown to predict
relationship satisfaction. The goal of two studies was to examine whether implicit theories of …

This article examines whether unrealistically viewing a romantic partner as resembling one's
ideal partner accelerates or slows declines in marital satisfaction among newlyweds. A …

Positive marital illusions have been found in several research paradigms: in marital
conventionalization scales that have overly positive descriptions; in marital attribution …

The common tendency to describe one's marriage in unrealistic terms has been
conceptualized as a positive illusion about marriage. Studies of positive illusions have relied …

This article extends earlier work on the association between relationship partners' similarity
and understanding about marital ideals and relationship satisfaction by controlling for …

The literature regarding self‐other comparisons suggests that self‐enhancing perceptions
are prevalent, including forms of “illusion” such as excessively positive self‐evaluation …