In different relationships, people search for elements of self-verification and self-enhancement. In dating relationships, people more frequently look for self-enhancement, or a partner who views them more positively than they view themselves, potentially due to the idea that any type of criticism might lead to rejection. In marriages, however, people search more often for self-verification, or others who view them as they view themselves. This could be because unlike dating situations, marriage does not have a very high risk of rejection, and people wish to marry others who understand them. Rather than looking into marriages, I studied friendships and dating relationships, and then compared those with Friends With Benefits on the Middlebury campus. Do people search for self-verification or self-enhancement within Friends With Benefits? Do men and women differ in this search? And how do people's sensitivity to rejection influence what they want in a relationship?
