Exploring the Links Between Regulatory Focus, Empathic Concern, Perspective Taking, and Relationship Satisfaction: A Dyadic Approach

ABSTRACT Regulatory focus, a person's approach to pursuing gains and avoiding hazards, has been mostly linked to self‐regulatory processes, leaving the related interpersonal mechanisms poorly understood. We tested hypotheses on the association between regulatory focus and dyadic empathy—the empathic tendencies between romantically involved partners—and relationship satisfaction. Two hundred and twenty‐seven Greek couples reported on promotion and prevention regulatory goals, dyadic empathic concern and perspective taking, and relationship satisfaction. Results from initial Actor‐Partner Interdependence Models found that promotion focus was positively related to actors' empathic concern and perspective taking toward the other, as well as partners' empathic concern and higher actor relationship satisfaction. Results from Actor‐Partner Interdependence Mediation Models indicated that partners' empathic concern and perspective taking separately mediated the relationship between promotion focus and relationship satisfaction, with varying patterns of actor and partner indirect effects for each mediator. Prevention focus was not associated with either empathic concern or perspective taking but was negatively associated with both actors' and partners' relationship satisfaction. The findings shed light on the interpersonal processes through which regulatory focus is linked to the relationship functioning in romantic relationships.