Relationships: Rusbult's investment model

Question 1

What is the investment model of commitment (Rusbult)

Answer 1

• Stability of a relationship is determined by how committed individuals are to the relationship, and that commitment depends on:
  -> Satisfaction - does the relationship fulfil the person’s needs?
  -> Comparison of alternatives - could their needs be better fulfilled in another relationship?
  -> Investment – how much has the person put in to the relationship in emotionally, for example?
• commitment plays a bigger role than satisfaction.

Question 2

What role does the quality of alternatives play in the investment model

Answer 2

• Attractive alternative = they may leave the relationship.
• No alternative exists = they may maintain the relationship. (Increases satisfaction).
• However, sometimes having no relationship is a more attractive alternative than being in an unsatisfactory one.

Question 3

what are the 2 types of investments

Answer 3

• intrinsic investments
• extrinsic investments

Question 4

what are intrinsic investments

Answer 4

• WHAT WE PUT DIRECTLY IN:
• Time, personal information, money – i.e.
  self-disclosure, energy, emotions.

Question 5

What are extrinsic investments

Answer 5

• Resources associated with the relationship.
• Shared things that may be lost: Shared pet, network of friends, children, memories.

Question 6

What are relationship maintenance mechanisms (Lyndon and Quinn)

Answer 6

• Commitment expressed in everyday maintenance behaviours -> thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
• Enduring relationships do not engage in tit-for-tat retaliations but act to promote and accommodate the relationship.
• Put partner’s interests first - willingness to sacrifice.
• Forgiveness for serious transgressions.

Question 7

What are the different strategies of relationship maintenance

Answer 7

• accommodation
• willingness to sacrifice
• forgiveness
• positive illusions
• ridiculing alternatives

Question 8

What is accomodation (relationship maintenance mechanisms)

Answer 8

• acting in a way that promotes the relationship, rather than keeping a tally of costs and rewards.

Question 9

What is willingness to sacrifice (relationship maintenance mechanisms)

Answer 9

• putting partner’s interests first.

Question 10

What is forgiveness (relationship maintenance mechanisms)

Answer 10

• Forgiveness – willingness to forgive partner’s mistakes, both minor and serious ones.

Question 11

What are positive illusions (relationship maintenance mechanisms)

Answer 11

• being unrealistically positive about partner’s qualities.

Question 12

What are ridiculing alternatives (relationship maintenance mechanisms)

Answer 12

• minimising the advantages of potential alternatives and
  viewing them in a negative light.

Question 13

List the evaluations for the investment model

Answer 13

Positive:
- supporting research
- explains abusive relationships
- methodological strengths

Negative:
- oversimplifies investment

Question 14

(+) explain supporting research for the investment model (Rusbult)

Answer 14

• Rusbult asked college students in relationships to
  complete questionnaires over a 7 month period.
• kept notes about how satisfactory their relationship was, how it compared with others and how much they had invested in it.
• Students also noted how committed they felt to the relationship and whether it had ended.
• correlation between amount of investment and success of relationship.

Question 15

(+) explain supporting research for the investment model (Lee and Agnew) (52 studies)

Answer 15

• Conducted a meta–analysis of 52 studies.
• Results indicated satisfaction with, alternatives to, and investments in a relationship each correlated
  significantly with commitment to that relationship.
• Commitment, in turn, was found to be a significant predictor of relationship breakup.

Question 16

(+) explain how the investment model helps explain abusive relationships (Rusbult and Martz)

Answer 16

• investment model thought to be particularly
  valid and useful explanation of relationships
  involving Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
• asked abused women why they stayed with abusive partners instead of leaving.
• women felt greatest commitment to their relationship when their economic alternatives were poor and their investment was great.

Question 17

(-) explain how the investment model oversimplifies investment (Goodfriend and Agnew)

Answer 17

• more to investment than the resources put into relationships.
• In early stages - very little investment is made.
• Investment in future plans - motivation to commit to each other to see future plans pan out.
• Limited explanation because it fails to recognise the true complexity of investment.

Question 18

(+) explain the methodological strengths of research into the investment model

Answer 18

• evidence relies on self-report measures like interviews and questionnaires.
• generally these would be seen as weaknesses but these are appropriate methods as it is not the objective reality of factors that matter.
• belief that you made a big investment in your current relationship, or your belief that you have no attractive alternatives, that will influence your
  commitment.