Rusbult's Investment Model Flashcards
Investment Model of Relationships
Suggests that maintenance of a relationship is determined by commitment.
Commitment can be strengthened by: Satisfaction and Investment.
Commitment is weakened by: Presence of alternatives to the relationship.
Satisfaction
Outcome of relationship = Rewards - Cost which is better than comparison level.
Investment
Investment is anything that a person puts into a relationship that will be lost if it ends.
Types of Investment
Intrinsic Investment: Time, personal information (self disclosure) which is put directly in.
Extrinsic Investment: Shared things that may be lost: Shared pet, network of friends, children.
Quality of Alternatives
Attractive alternative: They may leave the relationship.
No alternative exists: They may maintain the relationship. (increase satisfaction)
EV: Rusbult’s Research (1983)
Aim: To test the investment model of relationships.
Procedure: Asked heterosexual college students to complete a questionnaire over a 7 month period. Students kept notes on: Relationship satisfaction, Quality of alternatives, Investment and Commitment level.
Findings: High satisfaction and Investment were important in committed relationships.
Low satisfaction, investment and high comparison level for alternatives important in relationship break-up.
Conclusion: Commitment is strengthened by satisfaction and investment.
Commitment is weakened by presence of alternatives to the relationship.
EV: Rusbult and Martz (1995)
Aim: To apply the investment model to abusive relationships.
Procedure: Asked women who lived in refuges why they stayed with their abusive partners.
Findings: Women felt the greatest commitment to their relationship, their investment was great.
Conclusion: Supports the model which suggests that commitment to a relationship is strengthened by high investment and poor alternatives.
EV: Oversimplifies Investment
Goodfriend and Agnew point out there is more to investment than just resources. Goodfriend and Agnew extended Rusbult’s original model by including the investment romantic partners make in their future plans. The original model is a limited explanation of romantic relationships because it fails to recognise the true complexity of investment planning for the future.
