Abstract :
[en] Empathic accuracy (EA) in romantic couples refers to partners’ ability to accurately infer each other’s unspoken thoughts and feelings and has been linked to key relational outcomes. However, EA is not a stable trait: it varies across individuals, relationships, and interactional situations. One hypothesis proposed to explain this variability is that EA emerges from motivational processes, as partners may strategically regulate EA depending on their goals, perceived costs, and the interactional context. Despite the centrality of this hypothesis in theoretical models, motivation in the context of EA remains inconsistently conceptualized, and the motives driving empathic (in)accuracy remain largely unidentified, as few studies have explicitly examined why partners increase or decrease EA across interactional contexts.
The aim of this systematic review is to conceptualize EA as an outcome of motivated processes within romantic relationships and to identify explicit and implicit motives shaping empathic (in)accuracy. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across APA PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus for studies examining EA in adult romantic relationships. Studies assessing motives explicitly in relation to EA (primary studies), as well as studies investigating links between identified variables and EA where motivation was strongly implied (secondary studies), were included to ensure broad coverage given conceptual ambiguity in the literature. Findings were synthesized using a narrative approach.
Results reveal that, across studies, motivation to engage in EA was more often addressed indirectly than examined explicitly, highlighting a gap between theoretical models and empirical approaches. Results further indicate that motivational influences on EA emerged from the interplay between intra-individual characteristics, relationship-dependent characteristics, and situational factors. These characteristics appear to be activated by specific contexts.
Overall, findings suggest that EA is regulated through dynamic motivational processes shaped by the interaction between partner characteristics, relationship dynamics, and situational demands.
