Giving when it costs

Abstract

Do some people exhibit a greater willingness to sacrifice in romantic relationships and derive more satisfaction from doing so, even in the face of high costs? In a cross-sectional study and a daily experience study, we show that people low in interdependent self-construal were less willing to sacrifice when the costs were relatively high, whereas people high in interdependent self-construal were equally willing to make high- and low-cost sacrifices. Further, when people low in interdependent self-construal chose to sacrifice, they felt less authentic when the costs were high, which in turn, detracted from their satisfaction with sacrifice. In contrast, people high in interdependent self-construal did not feel less authentic and were buffered against feeling less satisfied when making more costly sacrifices. The findings identify a set of individuals who are more willing to sacrifice, even in the face of high costs, and who feel more satisfied and authentic when doing so.