Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8751-8050
Defense Date
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Jeffrey Green
Abstract
Psychological richness, defined by experiences that are novel, complex, and perspective changing, has been proposed as a third dimension of the good life alongside satisfaction and meaning. Although prior work has focused on richness at the life level, romantic relationships may be an important context in which psychologically rich experiences occur. In Study 1, a correlational study, adult attachment was associated with psychological richness in life, such that secure attachment was positively related to psychological richness, whereas anxious and avoidant attachment were negatively associated. Informed by the results of this study, I designed Study 2 to be a 4-day daily diary design and examined whether daily intimacy in shared activities with a romantic partner was associated with daily psychological richness and whether this association varied by trait and state attachment. Daily intimacy was positively associated with daily psychological richness. Trait attachment did not significantly moderate this association in the confirmatory analyses, although one state attachment interaction emerged. Exploratory analyses showed several attachment interactions for daily meaning and satisfaction. Daily psychological richness was positively associated with relationship psychological richness, although this association was no longer significant with control variables. Relationship richness was positively associated with psychological richness in life and remained significant even after controlling variables. Daily affect variability was not significantly associated with either global psychological richness assessments. The findings suggest that intimate shared experiences may serve as a source of psychological richness in romantic relationships while also highlighting both overlap and distinction among richness, meaning, and satisfaction.
Rights
© Sae Y. Kim
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
5-5-2026