Romantic relationships are an important part of life and can greatly influence an individual's well-being and mental health. Systematic efforts by social scientists have deepened our understanding of romantic relationships, but the extent to which romantic ideals help or hinder relationship functioning is relatively unexplored. The beliefs people have about relationships predict how they perceive, interpret, and respond to relationship events. These implicit relationship theories (ITRs) are characterized by two distinct sets of beliefs, called growth beliefs and destiny beliefs. Growth beliefs assume that relationships can be nurtured and challenges can be overcome. Beliefs about destiny assume that potential partners are either compatible or they are not. The current essay explains that having growth beliefs predicts higher relationship satisfaction, maintenance, and longevity than destiny beliefs. Growth theorists also interpret and respond to conflict more accurately than fate theorists. Additionally, this essay examines how different cultural perspectives and ideologies regarding gender roles alter our understanding of what constitutes healthy relationship functioning. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. Romantic ideals and beliefs have been found to be associated with relationship satisfaction, maintenance, and longevity. In a longitudinal study, Franiuk, Cohen, and Pomerantz (2004) investigated partner fit as a moderator between RTI and various relationship variables. As finding the right person is central to theories of destiny, perceived good match with partner results in high relationship satisfaction and longevity. However, strong beliefs about destiny, coupled with perceived poor partner fit, lead to lower relationship satisfaction, leading individuals to end relationships more quickly. However, growth theorists are primarily interested in developing relationships and diagnosing the status and potential success of relationships. Here, relationship satisfaction and longevity depend less on perceived partner suitability. Instead, the higher the belief in growth, the greater the use of maintenance behaviors such as positivity, openness, and assertiveness. However, these studies only investigated one aspect of the relationship. Future research should examine couples to see if a dyadic analysis of relationships results in different results for these relationship variables. Additionally, Mattingly, McIntyre, Knee, and Loving (2018) explored how RTI facilitates relationship maintenance through self-expansion. The self-expansion model posits that by engaging in new and challenging activities with their partner, individuals experience a positive cognitive reorganization of their self-concept. As growth theorists orient themselves toward nurturing relationships, they are more likely to seek opportunities for personal expansion. Thus, promoting relationship quality, maintenance and greater levels of companionate and passionate love. However, destiny theorists are oriented toward evaluating relationships rather than cultivation, and thus do not seek opportunities for expansionpersonal. Overall, fate theories can be detrimental to the extent that relationship functioning depends on the perceived suitability of the partner. On the other hand, growth theories promote healthy relationship functioning because they promote behaviors that increase relationship satisfaction, maintenance, and longevity, regardless of perceived fit with the partner. However, researchers should consider the socio-ecological environment before examining the function of ITRs. Lou and Li (2017) examined how socio-ecological factors, such as relational mobility, influence the functioning of RTIs. Relational mobility is the extent to which societies provide individuals with the opportunity to establish new relationships. Societies with high relational mobility, such as European Canadians, are more likely to adhere to growth beliefs, are less sensitive to social rejection, and engage in relationship maintenance behaviors. Therefore, having beliefs about destiny and having high sensitivity to rejection have been found to be maladaptive in high-mobility societies. On the other hand, societies with low relational mobility, such as the Hong Kong Chinese population, are more likely to adhere to fate beliefs and are more sensitive to social rejection. However, because the goal of interpersonal relationships in low-mobility societies is to maintain social harmony by reducing direct conflict, strong beliefs about fate and sensitivity to potential conflict are beneficial in these societies. By using a diverse sample to examine the function of RTIs in different cultures, these studies have high external validity. Altogether, these results suggest that the consequences of fate beliefs may be less harmful in some societies, highlighting the importance of considering social-ecological environments when examining relational beliefs. Romantic beliefs also influence how individuals interpret relationship conflicts. Through an online survey, Franiuk, Shain, Bieritz, and Murray (2012) found that an interaction between partner suitability and relationship duration predicted intimate partner violence (IPV). Having a strong theory of fate and poor partner fit was associated with low early relationship violence. However, this resulted in a positive association with relationship violence for those in longer relationships. This may be because individuals who hold theories about fate are constantly engaged in evaluating their partner early in the relationship. However, once committed, they use relationship-enhancing strategies to maintain their belief that their partner is their soulmate, such as having positive illusions and easily forgiving transgressions. However, because these studies use self-report questionnaires, the pattern of results may be influenced by socially desirable responses. Integrating different types of methodology, such as direct observation, can more accurately reflect the relationship between RTI and conflict interpretation, as the influence of socially desirable responses can be reduced. Overall, these strategies used by fate theorists may be detrimental to healthy relationship functioning because they deny or avoid awareness of relationship problems. Belief in growth also predicts how relational differences are managed. Dovala, Hawrilenko, and Cordova's (2018) study found that growth theorists address..