relationships - Rusbult's investment model

Question 1

satisfaction

Answer 1

based on concept of comparison level
rewards more profitable than costs
more out of relationship than expected

Question 2

comparison with alternatives

Answer 2

looking at other potential relationships/being alone and judging if they’re better

Question 3

investment

Answer 3

CLalt and CL alone means relationships would end sooner
investment is anything lost if the relationship eded
intrinsic - brought to relationship : tangible e.g money intangible e.g energy
extrinsic - appear during relationship : tangible e.g children intangible e.g memories

Question 4

3 factors of commitment

Answer 4

satisfaction level due to comparison level
investment size
comparison with alternatives

Question 5

commitment > satisfaction

Answer 5

explains why dissatisfied partners stay in a relationship as invested so much try to repair damage

Question 6

relationship maintenance mechanisms

Answer 6

put partners interests first (willingness to sacrifice)
forgive for serious transgressions (forgiveness)
cognitive element : unrealistically positive about partner (positive illusions)

Question 7

supporting evidence

Answer 7

meta-analysis by Le and Agnew
reviewed 52 studies including 11 000 participants from 5 different countries
found satisfaction, comparison with alternatives and investment size all predicted commitment and those that were commited were stable and lasted longest
true for both men and women, across cultures and in homo and heterosexual relationships
validity that these factors are universally important features of romantic relationships

Question 8

explains abusive relationships

Answer 8

valid and useful explanation of intimate partner violence (IPV)
key factor not satisfaction as subjected to violence
Rusbult and Martz studied ‘battered’ women and found most likely to return to an abusive partner had greatest investment and fewest attractive alternatives
victim of IPV doesn’t have to be satisfied with a relationship to stay in it

Question 9

oversimplifies investment

Answer 9

Agnew and Goodfriend
more than just the resources you put into a relationship as at the beginning don’t make many investments at all
extended model to include investment romantic partners make in future plans so commit to see plans work out
limited explanation as fails to acknowledge complexity of relationships

Question 10

based on correlational research

Answer 10

strong correaltions found between all factors predicted by investment model
even strongest correlation not evidence of causation
direction of causality may be reversed from factors causing commitment to commitment causing e.g more willingness to invest in relationship
model predicted wrong order