Agreeableness and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction: A Meta-Analytic Review

Abstract

Romantic relationships are central to human well-being, and personality traits have been identified as key predictors of relationship outcomes. This meta-analysis focused on agreeableness, a core dimension of the Five-Factor Model characterized by kindness and cooperation, to evaluate its association with romantic relationship satisfaction. A systematic search of PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus identified 15 articles, providing 24 independent effect sizes from a total of 15,965 participants. Using a random-effects model, a sensitivity analysis produced a robust pooled estimate of r = .18 (95% CI [.15, .21], p < .001), confirming agreeableness as a consistent, small-to-moderate predictor that explains approximately 3% of the variance in satisfaction. While conflict management is a key mechanism, these findings have direct practical implications. They provide an evidence-based rationale for relationship counseling and educational programs to target agreeableness-related behaviors, such as empathy, constructive communication, and cooperative problem-solving. For applied psychology, this study underscores that prosocial traits are a foundational component of relational well-being, affirming the value of cultivating kindness to sustain satisfying partnerships.