Love Is Not a Battlefield: Nonzero-Sum Beliefs and Response to Conflict in Romantic Relationships

Negative interactions in Conflict in romantic relationships can lead to destructive behaviors, such as hostility or withdrawal. In two studies, we found that nonzero-sum beliefs, which are lay beliefs about whether one’s romantic relationship works according to a non-zero-sum (or win-win) principle, are associated with less destructive behaviors during conflict.