Self-esteem and romantic relationship quality

Although many laypeople believe that self-esteem influences the quality of relationships, the empirical evidence is mixed. In this Review, we identify reasons for inconsistent findings and propose that self-esteem is best understood not as exerting a simple direct effect, but as exerting its influence through mediators: one partner’s self-esteem triggers a causal chain of mechanisms (including trust and reciprocated behaviours between partners) that ultimately affects each partner’s satisfaction with the relationship. We review the theoretical bases for this proposition as well as empirical evidence for each link in the proposed causal chain. Future research should investigate each mechanism in more detail, as well as the contextual factors inside and outside the relationship that influence each mechanism. This approach should reveal ways in which the causal chain between self-esteem and relationship satisfaction can be interrupted or moderated to enhance the relationships of people with low self-esteem.