Working hard to make a good impression: the relational consequences of effortful self-presentation

This manuscript seeks to discover when a more conscious self-presentation in everyday social interactions results in positive feelings and connection to others. Communicate bond belong (CBB) theory frames hypotheses regarding how self-presentation consciousness and relationship status effect social energy expenditure, and how these concepts relate to in-the-moment well-being. Participants (N = 127) reported on social interactions (n = 2,537) in an experience sampling framework. MLM results suggest self-presentation consciousness was associated with more social energy expenditure and less pleasant interactions. Additionally, social interactions with more established relationship partners were less energy expending. Supporting CBB, the connection-to-energy ratio was positively associated with well-being.