Partner Ambiguity Could Negatively Influence Your Emotional Health
In a recent study published in the journal Emotion, researchers from multiple countries investigated the impact of perceiving a partner's emotional ambivalence on personal and relationship well-being. The study, involving over 1,100 individuals and couples, found that perceiving a partner's ambivalence is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, greater stress and anxiety, and increased thoughts about ending the relationship.
Emotional ambivalence refers to feeling conflicted, holding both positive and negative evaluations of a partner simultaneously. When individuals perceive their partners as ambivalent, such as through jealousy or doubts about commitment, this leads to subjective ambivalence and mixed feelings that create psychological distress and strain the relationship.
The study's findings highlight that the way we interpret our partner's feelings can be just as important as what those feelings actually are. Perceiving a partner's emotional ambivalence may erode one's sense of security in the relationship. This emotional tug-of-war is linked to lower trust, more interpersonal conflict, and decreased overall satisfaction in the relationship.
The research team conducted three methodologically distinct studies: a cross-sectional survey, a daily diary method over 10 days, and a long-term study tracking couples over a year. The main finding was that people who perceived their partner as emotionally ambivalent reported lower personal well-being and more strain in their relationship.
The study offers insights that perceiving your partner as emotionally conflicted may affect not only relationship doubts but also one's own emotional stability. A partner's behavior perceived as inconsistent or conflicted can take a toll, even if not intended. The study found two key mechanisms for this link: unpredictability and reduced understanding. When someone senses that their partner is emotionally conflicted, they may find it harder to anticipate how that partner will behave or respond in emotional situations.
The importance of clarity and consistency in emotional expression may be just as important as affection itself in maintaining healthy relationships. Communication that reduces ambiguity and reassures the partner of one's care and commitment may help buffer against these effects.
Future research could explore whether certain individuals are more sensitive to perceived partner ambivalence or whether interventions that improve communication and emotional clarity might reduce its negative effects. The study's findings have real-world relevance, particularly for relationships involving navigating both closeness and conflict.
References:
Đurić, M., Righetti, F., Zoppolat, G., Solleiro Saura, C., & Schneider, I. K. (2025). Loves me, loves me not: Perceived romantic partner's ambivalence is associated with lower personal and relationship well-being. Emotion, 25(5), 1225-1243. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0001493
- The behavior that shows a partner's emotional ambivalence, such as jealousy or doubts about commitment, can lead to subjective ambivalence, creating mixed feelings and psychological distress.
- The study found that the way we interpret our partner's feelings is crucial and this perception can significantly impact personal and relationship well-being.
- Perceiving emotional ambivalence from a partner can erode one's sense of security and increase stress, anxiety, and thoughts about ending the relationship.
- Inconsistent or conflicted partner behavior, as perceived, can have a negative impact on one's own emotional stability.
- Clarity and consistency in emotional expression are as important as affection in maintaining healthy relationships, particularly to buffer against the negative effects of perceived partner ambivalence.
- The study's findings show that communication that reduces ambiguity and reassures the partner of one's care and commitment can help reduce these negative effects.
- Future research should explore if certain individuals are more sensitive to perceived partner ambivalence or if interventions that improve communication and emotional clarity might reduce its impact.
- The findings from this study have practical implications, particularly for relationships that require navigating both closeness and conflict.
- This research, published in the journal Emotion, involved over 1,100 individuals and couples, utilizing three methodologically distinct studies: a cross-sectional survey, a daily diary method over 10 days, and a long-term study tracking couples over a year.
- Understanding the impact of perceived partner emotional ambivalence on personal and relationship well-being is significant in the realm of mental health, health-and-wellness, psychology, and family-dynamics, as well as love-and-dating relationships.
