When goal sharing produces support that is not caring

Four studies used experimental and correlational methods to investigate the effect of a partner-achievement goal, or a personal goal for a relationship partner's successful achievement. this goal led support providers to offer unhelpful support about how to play a computer game (study 1). it also predicted poor achievement for dieting support recipients (study 2). the effects of partner-achievement goals were moderated by recipient expectations of success and mediated by recipient effort. recipients with low expectations of their own success requested that their provider partners with partner-achievement goals refrain from offering them support (study 3); they also invested less time studying latin grammar and learned fewer latin words over one week (study 4). together,these findings highlight the unique behavioral consequences of partner-achievement goals for both members of a relationship. © 2011 by the society for personality and social psychology.