Abstract
This research examined how the stable personality traits that each partner brings to an intimate relationship shape the quality of their relationship. Both members of 360 couples (N = 720) completed the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire and were interviewed about their relationship. We tested six models of the independent and interactive effects of personality on each partner’s reports of relationship satisfaction and quality. Findings show that a woman’s relationship happiness is predicted by her partner’s low Negative Emotionality, high Positive Emotionality, and high Constraint, whereas a man’s relationship happiness is predicted only by his partner’s low Negative Emotionality. Findings also show evidence of additive but not interactive effects: Each partner’s personality contributed independently to relationship outcomes but not in a synergistic way. We discuss these results in relation to models that seek to integrate research on individual differences in personality traits with research on interpersonal processes in intimate relationships.