Investment Theory

Question 1

Who made this theory

Answer 1

Rusbult in 1983 as an extension of SET

Question 2

What does the theory state about the maintenance of relationships

Answer 2

That it is also about how much investment you have put into the relationship

Question 3

What were the three factors that maintain commitment

Answer 3

Satisfaction level

Comparison with alternatives

Investment size

Question 4

What does rusbult say will cause a high level of satisfactions

Answer 4

If the person has higher rewards than costs in relationships and when there is no better alternatives to the current relationship

Question 5

What are the two categories that investment falls into

Answer 5

Extrinsic

Intrinsic

Question 6

What extrinsic investment

Answer 6

Direct efforts such as possessions and money

Question 7

What is intrinsic investment

Answer 7

Indirect effort such as children, shared memories and friends

Question 8

What is the main statement

Answer 8

The larger the investment the greater likelihood of commitment

Question 9

What are the five factors to maintaining the relationship

Answer 9

Accommodation

Willingness to sacrifice

Forgiveness

Positive illusions

Ridiculing alternatives

Question 10

What is accommodation

Answer 10

Acting in ways that promote relationships such as responding constructively to the destructive behaviours of your partner

Question 11

What is willingness to sacrifice

Answer 11

Putting your partners interests before your own

Question 12

What is forgiveness

Answer 12

Willingness to forgive your partners mistakes

Question 13

What is positive illusions

Answer 13

Being positive about your partner even when unrealistic

Question 14

What is ridiculing alternatives

Answer 14

Minimising the advantages of being with someone else

Question 15

Strengths

Answer 15

There are numerous studies with support this model such as Le and Agnew 2003 who found that satisfactions comparisons with alternatives and investment did contribute to commitment

Rusbult provided an explanation for why people stay in abusive relationships where the costs are arw high but rewards are re low it is because of the investment

Question 16

What are the weaknesses

Answer 16

Cause and effect relationships are difficult to establish (does investment cause commitment or is there just a relationship between the two) as many studies into the model are correlational

A problem with questionnaires is the social desirability bias which means that people may answer in ways that highlight their good qualities. And questionnaires were the primary form of study used