Study of Knowledge Structures of Ideal Intimate Partner and Ideal Intimate Relationship

Study 3 examined goodness-of-fit of knowledge structures models with confirmatory factor analysis, the results showed that both knowledge structures of ideal intimate partner and ideal intimate relationship were more fit represented by 3 factors. Study 3 also revealed that the importance of knowledge structures contents of ideal intimate partner and ideal intimate relationship showed significant gender differences. Although both sexes emphasized internal traits (warmth-affiliation, internal resources, and trustworthiness) more than external traits (external resources, physical attractiveness, and action attractiveness), but women emphasized internal resources, warm-affiliation, action attractiveness, external resources more than did men, and men emphasized physical attractiveness more than did women.

In addition, women emphasized both intimacy-loyalty and equality relationship characteristics more than did men. Most of the discrepancies between the ideals and the current partner and relationship showed positively related to perceived quality of intimate relationship, especially discrepancy of intimacy-loyalty were more prominent. In addition, the relationship between discrepancies and perceived quality of intimate relationship revealed relationship stage differences, the relations were weaker in unmarried but stronger in shorter married.

The implications of these findings were discussed in the text.