Motivational “Birds of a Feather”: Men (But Not Women) in Romantic Couples Perceive Themselves As More Similar When Their Motives Are Alike

Do romantic partners’ perceptions of their similarity reflect actual correspondence in their motives? A dyadic response surface analysis revealed that men’s similarity ratings were highest among those with motivationally similar partners; women showed no such effect. These results suggest that men and women consider different information when assessing their similarity.