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Abstract
Interdependent people pursue many goals, both for themselves and for each other. Ihypothesized that although people in close relationships are typically communally oriented,concurrently pursuing the same goal would shift their orientation toward one of exchange (CET). In the first study, I tested whether thinking about ones close other (versus their shared goal) would interact with goal difficulty to predict CET. A significant interaction emerged such that participants who thought about their close other and whose goals were difficult to pursue shifted from communal toward exchange orientation. In the second study, I manipulated goal difficulty and goal sharing status. Participants did not significantly change their relationship orientation as a result of this manipulation. Taken together, people experience CET when thinking about their close other in the context of goal pursuit, rather than thinking about aspects of their goal. This transition has implications for close relationship partners continued self-regulation.