Interdependence in Shared Goal Pursuit Among Established and Impromptu Dyads: Expectations, Allocation, and Performance

Michelle VanDellen ^1* Julian Wright ² Eli J Finkel ³ Grainne M Fitzsimons ⁴ Andrew Hall ³

• ¹ University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, United States
• ² University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States
• ³ Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States
• ⁴ Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States

Transactive goal dynamics theory asserts that interdependent partners have opportunities and motivation to learn about each other's idiosyncratic skills and interests in goal pursuit, producing enhanced system-level knowledge and performance. These shared knowledge structures of each other's skills and preferences should produce more efficient allocation of tasks to complete in goal pursuit. The present study directly tests this hypothesis using an empirical demonstration that allows for a comparison of shared goal pursuit among couples with experimentally manipulated interdependence. Specifically, we examined how people allocated and subsequently completed individual tasks toward a shared outcome when working with an established partner compared to working with an impromptu gender-matched partner. To accomplish these aims, we recruited two pairs of romantic partners to complete a laboratory session. Each couple was randomly assigned to complete a series of tasks as part of either an established dyad (i.e., couples worked together) or impromptu dyad (i.e., couples traded partners). Established dyads a) considered the system's strengths in dividing tasks and b) divided tasks more effectively than impromptu dyads. Established dyads also expected to and did perform better than impromptu dyads. These findings characterize how goal interdependence manifests in close relationships.