Trust as Motivational Gatekeeper in Adult Romantic Relationships

This chapter explores how trust functions as a motivational gatekeeper in close relationships. In this role, trust regulates whether people prioritize seeking connection (i.e., approach) or avoiding rejection (i.e., avoidance). Part One describes five evidential cues that signal one's special value to the partner, and thus foster more (or less) trusting expectations. Part Two describes how trust regulates approach and avoidance behaviors in situations that offer the potential for gain or loss by putting one's outcomes in the partner's hands. Part Three contrasts the behavioral dynamics evident in relationships where more trusting expectations often motivate seeking connection and in relationships where less trusting expectations often motivate seeking self-protection against loss.