Abstract
This study examined whether closeness to intimate opposite-sex partners influences self-presentation motives in these relationships. Participants were 758 undergraduates (328 males, 428 females, and 2 unknown). Participants were asked to imagine opposite sex partners with whom they felt closest while completing the questionnaires. The main findings were as follows: (1) the strength of participants' self-presentation motives to their partners increased as their subjective feelings of relationship importance and romantic feelings also increased, (2) the association of length of relationship with the strength of self-presentation motives was negative in the opposite-sex friendships, and positive in romantic relationships, and (3) exclusivity in romantic relationships reduced the strength of self-presentation motives. From these results, it was found that self-presentation motives in long-term relationships were not necessarily weaker than in short-term relationships. We suggest the need for further research on self-presentation motives in long-term relationships.
