Emotion, Vol 25(7), Oct 2025, 1639-1652; doi:10.1037/emo0001533
Primal world beliefs—beliefs about the general character of the world—are linked to psychological well-being, yet little is known about what drives changes in these beliefs. This study examined whether daily relatedness—rewarding, intimate, and responsive social interactions—predicts shifts in primal world beliefs over a year. In a dyadic study of romantic couples (N = 235 couples and 6,411 daily observations), daily relatedness predicted more positive world beliefs 1 year later. Specifically, positive interactions with close ties (i.e., familiar and close interaction partners), romantic relationship satisfaction, and perceived partner responsiveness contributed to these shifts. However, the quality of interactions with weak ties (i.e., unfamiliar or distant partners) did not predict changes in world beliefs. Moreover, positive changes in world beliefs partially explained the prospective effects of daily relatedness on greater well-being and lower depressed affect over the year. These findings provide novel support for retrospective models of world belief change, highlighting the role of everyday interpersonal experiences in shaping fundamental views of the world. They also suggest that more positive world beliefs may partially explain why relatedness promotes well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)