For Security or for Love? Motives for Entering Romantic Relationships and Dyadic Satisfaction among Chinese Partners
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For Security or for Love? Motives for Entering Romantic Relationships and Dyadic Satisfaction among Chinese Partners

Yu Xia 1*
1 Nanyang Technological University
*Corresponding author: Xiay0013@e.ntu.edu.sg
Published on 11 November 2025
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CHR Vol.98
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-531-8
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-532-5
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Abstract

Relationship satisfaction influences mental health and quality of life; however, maintaining such satisfaction can be challenging. Among numerous factors, the initial motive for entering a relationship - an underexplored driver of partner-interaction patterns - may shape later satisfaction. In this study, we will investigate the relations between (1) an individual’s autonomous motivation (Self-Determination Theory) for entering a relationship and their partner’s relationship satisfaction, and (2) that motivation and the individual’s own satisfaction, with willingness to satisfy the partner’s needs as a mediator and both partners’ self-esteem controlled, implementing an actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM) in lavaan, within Chinese collectivist culture. With a sample of N = 300 dyads, we hypothesize that more autonomous entry motives may lead to greater willingness to meet a partner’s needs for both partners, which in turn improves relationship satisfaction for both partners. The anticipated results underscore the significance of autonomous motives in initiating romantic partnerships and suggest practical implications for premarital counselling and relationship-quality improvement.

Keywords:

self-determination theory (SDT), autonomous motivation, intimate relationship, relationship satisfaction, self-esteem.

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Xia,Y. (2025). For Security or for Love? Motives for Entering Romantic Relationships and Dyadic Satisfaction among Chinese Partners. Communications in Humanities Research,98,1-11.

References

[1]. Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276

[2]. Amato, P. R. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 650–666. https: //doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x

[3]. DePaulo, B. (2017, February 2). What is the divorce rate, really? Psychology Today. https: //www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201702/what-is-the-divorce-rate-really

[4]. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2024). China Statistical Yearbook 2024. China Statistics Press.

[5]. Hendrick, S. S., Hendrick, C., & Adler, N. L. (1988). Romantic relationships: Love, satisfaction, and staying together. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 980–988. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.980

[6]. MacDonald, G., Thapar, S., Ryan, W. S., Chung, J. M., Hoan, E., & Park, Y. (2025). Why do you want a romantic relationship? Individual differences in motives for romantic relationship pursuit. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Advance online publication. https: //doi.org/10.1177/01461672251331699

[7]. Wang, S., Lee, W.-C., & Ma, H. (2024). The Chinese version of the Couples Satisfaction Index: Psychometric assessment and differential item functioning analysis with item response theory. SAGE Open, 14(3), 1–14. https: //doi.org/10.1177/21582440241271087

[8]. Blais, M. R., Sabourin, S., Boucher, C., & Vallerand, R. J. (1990). Toward a motivational model of couple happiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(5), 1021–1031. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.5.1021

[9]. Knee, C. R., Hadden, B. W., Porter, B., & Rodriguez, L. M. (2013). Self-determination theory and romantic relationship processes. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17(4), 307–324. https: //doi.org/10.1177/1088868313498000

[10]. Patrick, H., Knee, C. R., Canevello, A., & Lonsbary, C. (2007). The role of need fulfillment in relationship functioning and well-being: A self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(3), 434–457. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.3.434

[11]. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https: //doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

[12]. Hadden, B. W., Smith, C. V., & Knee, C. R. (2014). The way I make you feel: How relatedness and compassionate goals promote partner’s relationship satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(2), 155–162. https: //doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.858272

[13]. Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Erez, A., & Locke, E. A. (2005). Core self-evaluations and job and life satisfaction: The role of self-concordance and goal attainment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(2), 257–268. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.2.257

[14]. Erol, R. Y., & Orth, U. (2014). Development of self-esteem and relationship satisfaction in couples: Two longitudinal studies. Developmental Psychology, 50(9), 2291–2303. https: //doi.org/10.1037/a0037370

[15]. Bar-Anan, Y., & Nosek, B. A. (2014). A comparative investigation of seven indirect attitude measures. Behavior Research Methods, 46(3), 668–688. https: //doi.org/10.3758/s13428-013-0410-6

[16]. Buhrmester, M. D., Blanton, H., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2011). Implicit self-esteem: Nature, measurement, and a new way forward. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 365–385. https: //doi.org/10.1037/a0021341

[17]. Hodgins, H. S., Brown, A. B., & Carver, B. (2007). Autonomy and control motivation and self-esteem. Self and Identity, 6(2–3), 189–208. https: //doi.org/10.1080/15298860601118769

[18]. Kenny, D. A. (1996). Models of nonindependence in dyadic research. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13(2), 279–294. https: //doi.org/10.1177/0265407596132007

[19]. Kenny, D. A., & Cook, W. L. (1999). Partner effects in relationship research: Conceptual issues, analytic difficulties, and illustrations. Personal Relationships, 6(4), 433–448. https: //doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1999.tb00202.x

[20]. Ledermann, T., & Bodenmann, G. (2006). Moderator- und Mediatoreffekte bei dyadischen Daten: Zwei Erweiterungen des Akteur-Partner-Interdependenz-Modells. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 37(1), 27–40. https: //doi.org/10.1024/0044-3514.37.1.27

[21]. Ledermann, T., Macho, S., & Kenny, D. A. (2011). Assessing mediation in dyadic data using the actor–partner interdependence model. Structural Equation Modeling, 18(4), 595–612. https: //doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2011.607099

[22]. Moshagen, M., & Bader, M. (2024). semPower: General power analysis for structural equation models. Behavior Research Methods, 56, 2901–2922. https: //doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02254-7

[23]. MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., & Williams, J. (2004). Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(1), 99–128. https: //doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr3901_4

[24]. Canevello, A., & Crocker, J. (2020). Prosocial orientations: Distinguishing compassionate goals from other constructs. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 538165. https: //doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.538165

[25]. Crocker, J., & Canevello, A. (2008). Creating and undermining social support in communal relationships: The role of compassionate and self-image goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(3), 555–575. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.95.3.555

[26]. Funk, J. L., & Rogge, R. D. (2007). Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(4), 572–583. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572

[27]. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.

[28]. Schmitt, D. P., & Allik, J. (2005). Simultaneous administration of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in 53 nations: Exploring the universal and culture-specific features of global self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(4), 623–642. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.4.623

[29]. Rosseel, Y. (2012). lavaan: An R package for structural equation modeling. Journal of Statistical Software, 48(2), 1–36. https: //doi.org/10.18637/jss.v048.i02

References

[1]. Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Lucas, R. E., & Smith, H. L. (1999). Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin, 125(2), 276–302. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276

[2]. Amato, P. R. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72(3), 650–666. https: //doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3737.2010.00723.x

[3]. DePaulo, B. (2017, February 2). What is the divorce rate, really? Psychology Today. https: //www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-single/201702/what-is-the-divorce-rate-really

[4]. National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2024). China Statistical Yearbook 2024. China Statistics Press.

[5]. Hendrick, S. S., Hendrick, C., & Adler, N. L. (1988). Romantic relationships: Love, satisfaction, and staying together. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 980–988. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.980

[6]. MacDonald, G., Thapar, S., Ryan, W. S., Chung, J. M., Hoan, E., & Park, Y. (2025). Why do you want a romantic relationship? Individual differences in motives for romantic relationship pursuit. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Advance online publication. https: //doi.org/10.1177/01461672251331699

[7]. Wang, S., Lee, W.-C., & Ma, H. (2024). The Chinese version of the Couples Satisfaction Index: Psychometric assessment and differential item functioning analysis with item response theory. SAGE Open, 14(3), 1–14. https: //doi.org/10.1177/21582440241271087

[8]. Blais, M. R., Sabourin, S., Boucher, C., & Vallerand, R. J. (1990). Toward a motivational model of couple happiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 59(5), 1021–1031. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.59.5.1021

[9]. Knee, C. R., Hadden, B. W., Porter, B., & Rodriguez, L. M. (2013). Self-determination theory and romantic relationship processes. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17(4), 307–324. https: //doi.org/10.1177/1088868313498000

[10]. Patrick, H., Knee, C. R., Canevello, A., & Lonsbary, C. (2007). The role of need fulfillment in relationship functioning and well-being: A self-determination theory perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(3), 434–457. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.3.434

[11]. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https: //doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

[12]. Hadden, B. W., Smith, C. V., & Knee, C. R. (2014). The way I make you feel: How relatedness and compassionate goals promote partner’s relationship satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(2), 155–162. https: //doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2013.858272

[13]. Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Erez, A., & Locke, E. A. (2005). Core self-evaluations and job and life satisfaction: The role of self-concordance and goal attainment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(2), 257–268. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.2.257

[14]. Erol, R. Y., & Orth, U. (2014). Development of self-esteem and relationship satisfaction in couples: Two longitudinal studies. Developmental Psychology, 50(9), 2291–2303. https: //doi.org/10.1037/a0037370

[15]. Bar-Anan, Y., & Nosek, B. A. (2014). A comparative investigation of seven indirect attitude measures. Behavior Research Methods, 46(3), 668–688. https: //doi.org/10.3758/s13428-013-0410-6

[16]. Buhrmester, M. D., Blanton, H., & Swann, W. B., Jr. (2011). Implicit self-esteem: Nature, measurement, and a new way forward. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(2), 365–385. https: //doi.org/10.1037/a0021341

[17]. Hodgins, H. S., Brown, A. B., & Carver, B. (2007). Autonomy and control motivation and self-esteem. Self and Identity, 6(2–3), 189–208. https: //doi.org/10.1080/15298860601118769

[18]. Kenny, D. A. (1996). Models of nonindependence in dyadic research. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13(2), 279–294. https: //doi.org/10.1177/0265407596132007

[19]. Kenny, D. A., & Cook, W. L. (1999). Partner effects in relationship research: Conceptual issues, analytic difficulties, and illustrations. Personal Relationships, 6(4), 433–448. https: //doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.1999.tb00202.x

[20]. Ledermann, T., & Bodenmann, G. (2006). Moderator- und Mediatoreffekte bei dyadischen Daten: Zwei Erweiterungen des Akteur-Partner-Interdependenz-Modells. Zeitschrift für Sozialpsychologie, 37(1), 27–40. https: //doi.org/10.1024/0044-3514.37.1.27

[21]. Ledermann, T., Macho, S., & Kenny, D. A. (2011). Assessing mediation in dyadic data using the actor–partner interdependence model. Structural Equation Modeling, 18(4), 595–612. https: //doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2011.607099

[22]. Moshagen, M., & Bader, M. (2024). semPower: General power analysis for structural equation models. Behavior Research Methods, 56, 2901–2922. https: //doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02254-7

[23]. MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., & Williams, J. (2004). Confidence limits for the indirect effect: Distribution of the product and resampling methods. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 39(1), 99–128. https: //doi.org/10.1207/s15327906mbr3901_4

[24]. Canevello, A., & Crocker, J. (2020). Prosocial orientations: Distinguishing compassionate goals from other constructs. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 538165. https: //doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.538165

[25]. Crocker, J., & Canevello, A. (2008). Creating and undermining social support in communal relationships: The role of compassionate and self-image goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(3), 555–575. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.95.3.555

[26]. Funk, J. L., & Rogge, R. D. (2007). Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(4), 572–583. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572

[27]. Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.

[28]. Schmitt, D. P., & Allik, J. (2005). Simultaneous administration of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in 53 nations: Exploring the universal and culture-specific features of global self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(4), 623–642. https: //doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.89.4.623

[29]. Rosseel, Y. (2012). lavaan: An R package for structural equation modeling. Journal of Statistical Software, 48(2), 1–36. https: //doi.org/10.18637/jss.v048.i02

Cite this article

Xia,Y. (2025). For Security or for Love? Motives for Entering Romantic Relationships and Dyadic Satisfaction among Chinese Partners. Communications in Humanities Research,98,1-11.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICIHCS 2025 Symposium: Literature as a Reflection and Catalyst of Socio-cultural Change

ISBN: 978-1-80590-531-8(Print) / 978-1-80590-532-5(Online)
Editor: Enrique Mallen, Abdullah Laghari
Conference website: https://www.icihcs.org/Nawabshah.html
Conference date: 15 November 2025
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.98
ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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