**Original citation.** Murray, S.L., Derrick, J.L., Leder, S., & Holmes, J.G. (2008). Balancing connectedness and self-protection goals in close relationships: A levels-of-processing perspective on risk regulation. *Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94*(3), 429-459.
**Target of replication.** We seek to replicate the finding that “when primed with approach goals, lows in the partner criticism condition believed their partner regarded them significantly more negatively than did controls,” β = .59, t(83) = 3.05, p = 0.0031 (Murray et al., 2008, p. 452).
**A priori replication criteria.** A successful replication would find a simple effect of partner criticism condition for participants in the approach goal condition who were low in self esteem. Low self esteem participants were identified as those who were one standard deviation below the mean for self esteem.
We planned to conduct a hierarchical regression analysis of the effect of self esteem, partner criticism, and approach goals on perceptions of the partner’s disregard. For this analysis, self-esteem scores were mean centered, partner criticism was effects coded (rejection = 1, control = -1), and goal prime was effects coded (approach = 1, avoid = -1). All main effects, two way interactions, and the three way interaction were entered into the regression.
