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Truer of relationship initiation than maintenance?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 May 2026

Sandra Murray Open the ORCID record for Sandra Murray [Opens in a new window]  and
Gabriela Pascuzzi
Sandra Murray*
Affiliation:
University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA smurray@buffalo.edu gspascuz@buffalo.edu
Gabriela Pascuzzi
Affiliation:
University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA smurray@buffalo.edu gspascuz@buffalo.edu
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

Does romantic love always depend on trade-offs between significance quests, partner appreciation, and partner merit? The compensatory logic of the love formula may better apply to romantic relationship initiation than maintenance. Personal quests for significance are more tied to the success/failure of established than new relationships. This makes it harder to keep partner appreciation and merit mentally separate, limiting compensation.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e12
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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