GIVING UP, GIVING IN: A Study of Sacrificial Behavior among Women in Close Relationships

Abstract

When relationship entails conflict of interests and desires, one way individuals seek to solve such interdependence dilemma is to sacrifice some of their immediate self-interests for the well-being of their partner and of their relationship. This present study was designed to describe the nature of sacrificial behavior among women in ongoing close relationships, and to provide an empirical investigation on the factors that affect the perceived level of sacrifice. Two-hundred and twelve Filipino women aged 16-24 years, in current relationship for a minimum of one year, studying in selected universities in Manila and who, upon screening, acknowledged the existence of sacrifice in their ongoing relationship, participated in the quantitative survey that measured the nature and level of their sacrifices and the effect of relationship’s external and internal factors on sacrificial behavior. Focus group discussions among fifteen participants and two in-depth studies were also conducted to provide richer information on the nature of sacrifice. The current findings indicated that the most common type of sacrifice experienced by women dealt with friends- relationship and opposite-sex interactions. Among the various factors in relationship, the number of experienced types of sacrifice, commitment level, gender roles, experience of physical punishment, parents’ knowledge of the relationship and support from parents directly influenced women’s sacrificial behavior. However, the number of experienced types of sacrifice and the level of commitment remained to be the best predictors of the severity of sacrificial behavior. The higher the commitment level and the more types of sacrifice were experienced by an individual, the more the sacrificial behavior was perceived to be severe.