Bi-Directional Positive Illusions in Romantic Relationships: Possibilities and Pitfalls for the Socially Anxious

Socially anxious individuals often compare themselves unfavorably to others, a process that may maintain their anxiety. Individuals in relationships often have positive illusions about their romantic partners, seeing their partners more favorably than the partners view themselves. Positive illusions about romantic partners are typically bi-directional; individuals have illusions about their partners and partners have illusions about them. However, it is unclear whether these illusions are maintained in romantic relationships involving socially anxious individuals. Bi-directional positive illusions could influence whether the presence of a romantic partner would increase or decrease predictions about discomfort socially anxious individuals would feel in social interactions. We examined bi-directional positive illusions and predictions of comfort in hypothetical social situations in a sample of 112 undergraduate students and their romantic partners. Bi-directional positive partner illusions were evident among those with higher social anxiety even though normative self-enhancement bias was not. Being the recipient of positive illusions from one's partner was associated with decreased predicted comfort when presenting in front of a group, especially for socially anxious individuals. Social anxiety also moderated the perceived benefit of having positive illusions about one's partner when socializing with acquaintances. Thus, it appears that, although socially anxious individuals may both apply and receive positive illusions within romantic relationships, the extent to which they benefit from such illusions may be limited.