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Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
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Taking Chances in the Face of Threat: Romantic Risk Regulation and Approach Motivation

Justin V. Cavallo

University of Waterloo, jvcavall{at}uwaterloo.ca

Gráinne M. Fitzsimons

University of Waterloo

John G. Holmes

University of Waterloo

Four studies examine the hypothesis that goals adopted by high and low self-esteem people (HSEs and LSEs) to manage risk in romantic relationships may reflect global shifts in approach motivation and subsequently affect risk taking in nonsocial domains. In Studies 1 and 2, threats to participants' romantic relationships heightened HSEs' self-reported general approach motivation while lowering LSEs' approach motivation. In Studies 2 through 4, HSEs exhibited riskier decision making (i.e., a greater tendency to pursue rewards and ignore risks) in nonsocial domains following a relationship threat manipulation whereas LSEs made more conservative decisions. These results suggest that the romantic risk regulation may be inherently linked to a broader approach and avoidance system and that specific risk regulation behaviors may be driven by global motivational shifts to a greater degree than previously theorized.

Key Words: risk regulation • approach and avoidance • self-esteem • risk taking

This version was published on June 1, 2009

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 35, No. 6, 737-751 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0146167209332742
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