Language Bias in Romantic Relationships: Effects of Relationship Commitment

Abstract

This paper will look at the effects of language biases in romantic relationships, as well as at how commitment might affect language biases in romantic relationships. Participants in this study wrote positive stories describing a time wherein their romantic partner was the cause of an event, as well as negative stories wherein someone's romantic partner was the cause of an event. Commitment was also measured via the 15-item commitment scale. It was found that there were higher levels of concreteness in the positive stories than in the negative stories. It was also found that there was no correlation between levels of commitment and concreteness ratings. These findings raise important questions the factors that contribute to bias in language about romantic partners.