Self-Expansion Questionnaire – Chinese Version

Description

Self-expansion, also known as self-extension, or self-expansion, is a concept introduced by Arthur Aron and Elaine N. Aron in 1986. They incorporated psychological perspectives on self-evolution and the essence of love into their research on motivation and cognition, leading to the development of the self-expansion model. This concept refers to an individual’s innate tendency to desire to incorporate the knowledge, resources, perspectives, and recognition of another person into oneself when entering an intimate relationship, thereby expanding social relationships and enhancing personal capabilities. This is a fundamental human motivation, and “including others in the self” serves as a pathway to achieve self-expansion. Research has shown that individuals in romantic relationships express a richer and more diverse self-concept compared to those who are not in relationships (Aron, Paris, & Aron, 1995). Individuals in relationships experience self-expansion that can lead to more positive social interactions and psychological experiences, such as increased satisfaction in intimate relationships (Aron, Norman, McKenna, & Heyman, 2004), greater investment in relationships, and more optimistic emotions (Graham, 2008). Conversely, if an individual finds that their relationship lacks further opportunities for self-expansion—whether due to the loss of a significant relationship or an inability to deepen the relationship that meets their self-expansion needs—they may experience a range of negative outcomes. In such cases, individuals may seek self-expansion in new relationships. This perspective provides a novel insight into infidelity, suggesting that individuals who might deceive their current partners and shift attention towards potential lovers may do so because their current relationship fails to fulfill their self-expansion needs (Lewandowski, Agnew, 2006; Vandei Drift, 2012). Self-expansion can also explain the phenomenon of love at first sight and the continual decline in relationship quality over time. The model posits that individuals, driven by self-expansion motivation and attracted by opportunities for expansion, gradually enter deeply intimate relationships with high potential. At the beginning of a relationship, individuals exchange information that facilitates self-expansion; the stimulation and rich content they experience lead to positive emotional experiences and high relationship satisfaction. As this intense phase of excitement draws to a close, mutual understanding and familiarity also stabilize, leading to fewer opportunities for expansion, which in turn results in a gradual decline in relationship satisfaction. Self-expansion mainly occurs during the 6 months to 3 years of a romantic relationship. This process not only reflects the changes in relationship satisfaction alongside individual levels of self-expansion but also provides insights for enhancing satisfaction, such as encouraging couples to engage in novel and enjoyable activities together to increase self-expansion opportunities (Cui Jianhai, 2013).

Authors and Contact Email

Arthur Aron, Elaine N. Aron, and others; contact information not available.

Purpose

To explore the relationship between self-expansion and the quality of intimate relationships as well as the psychological implications of self-expansion in romantic contexts.

Test Year

2002

Administration Method and Scoring

Data was collected through two methods: one utilized a paper-based questionnaire collected through on-site recruitment and acquaintances, while the other involved an online survey distributed via a questionnaire platform (WJX.cn). Participants were compensated upon completing the survey. After filtering out invalid data due to incomplete answers or patterned responses, 440 valid responses were obtained, yielding an efficiency rate of 88%.

Reliability and Validity

The Self-Expansion Questionnaire (SEQ), developed by Lewandowski and Aron in 2002, consists of 14 items primarily measuring the extent to which respondents feel that their perspectives and abilities have expanded through including another person. Domestic research indicates that this scale has good reliability and validity, with a Cronbach’s α value of 0.87 (Jia Fengxiang, 2012; Sheets, 2014).

Factors and Subscales

Information not available.

Keywords

Self-expansion, intimacy, relationship satisfaction, psychological experiences, infidelity.

Items in Chinese

1. 你常从他（她）身上发现新的体验
2. 他（她）使你对许多事物有更进一步的了解
3. 他（她）增加了你完成新事物的能力
4. 他（她）帮助你了解你有哪些潜能可以运用开发
5. 他（她）常提供许多新奇经验
6. 他（她）提供给你更宽广的观点看待事物
7. 他（她）的长处（能力、技巧……等）恰可以补足你不足的地方
8. 他（她）激励你学习新技能
9. 他（她）提供给你不同的知识/资讯
10. 他（她）让你变成更好的人
11. 和他（她）相处时，常经历新的体验
12. 与他（她）在一起时，你的改变令身边的人对你称许有加
13. 他（她）让你更了解自己是个什么样的人
14. 这段感情使你对未来的他（她）更具有吸引力

Items in English

1. You often discover new experiences from him/her.
2. He/she provides you with a deeper understanding of many things.
3. He/she increases your ability to accomplish new things.
4. He/she helps you understand what potentials you can develop.
5. He/she often provides many novel experiences.
6. He/she offers you a broader perspective on things.
7. His/her strengths (abilities, skills, etc.) complement your weaknesses.
8. He/she motivates you to learn new skills.
9. He/she provides you with different knowledge/information.
10. He/she makes you a better person.
11. You often experience new things when you are with him/her.
12. Your changes while together with him/her are praised by those around you.
13. He/she helps you better understand what kind of person you are.
14. This relationship makes you more attracted to his/her future.

References

Zhang Shan.(2020). Research on Adult Narcissism and Satisfaction in Intimate Relationships—The Role of Implicit and Explicit Self-Expansion (Master’s Thesis). Sichuan Normal University.
Pu Kunhua.(2013). Investigating the Status and Relationships of College Students’ Self-Expansion, Self-Concept, and Jealousy in Love (Master’s Thesis). Yunnan Normal University.