ABSTRACT
The beginning of a romantic relationship is frequently characterized by attraction to the partner, commitment to the relationship, and optimism about the future. What happens to these initially positive beliefs over time? Research on social cognition has identified a number of ways that important and rewarding beliefs may be protected from disconfirmation (for a review, see Kunda, 1990). For example, people have been shown to ignore evidence that contradicts their desired beliefs (Miller, 1997), generate rationalizations to support these beliefs (Murray & Holmes, 1993), and demonstrate better memory for events that are consistent with these beliefs (Sanitioso, Kunda, & Fong, 1990). Furthermore, people have been shown to adhere to desired beliefs even when confronted with evidence that logically should undermine those beliefs (Nisbett & Ross, 1980). Thus, research on social cognition leads to the strong prediction that initially positive beliefs about a romantic relationship, being very important and highly rewarding, should be among the most stable and enduring beliefs that people have.
