Sacrifice. People in close relationships often confront interdependence dilemmas: what is good for one partner is not good for the other. In these situations, people need to make a decision between pursuing self-interest and sacrificing to promote the well-being of their partner or relationship. What predicts sacrificing for a partner or relationship? When does sacrifice benefit and when does sacrifice harm the individual and the relationship well-being? How do people in relationships decide who is going to sacrifice?

Automatic vs. Self-controlled Processes. Our capacity for self-control is limited. Sometimes we make decisions and we face situations in a self-controlled manner, other times we lack self-control and behave in an impulsive mode.  How are our relationship dynamics affected by automatic vs. self-controlled processes? When are implicit (automatic) partner evaluations different from the explicit (deliberative) ones? What happens when there is a discrepancy between implicit and explicit partner evaluations?

Goal Support. We do not pursue goals in isolation but we are often surrounded by others who can help or impair our goal accomplishment. When are partners instrumental for our goal pursuit? When is goal support effortful or automatic? Which type of goals are easier to support?