Value Violations and Satisfactions in Intimate Relationships: The Value-Consistent Action Measure

How closely Partner A’s actions align with Partner B’s values likely affects the emotions and relationship quality of Partner B, with greater alignment predicting better scores in both outcomes for Partner B. Behaviors that conflict with the interpreting partner’s values are considered value violations, and behaviors aligned with the interpreting partner’s values are considered value satisfactions. To test these assumptions regarding the role of values in interpersonal behavior interpretations, a new measure called the Value-Consistent Action Measure (VCAM) was administered along with a variety of measures regarding emotions, values, and relationship quality. One form of the VCAM indexes the way the respondent interprets a series of value-relevant partner behaviors, whereas another form indexes the frequency with which the respondent’s partner engages in each behavior. Results from this study demonstrated that fewer value violations and more value satisfactions are associated with better emotional experiences and relationship quality in the interpreting partner.