Rusbult's Investment Model Flashcards
What is Rusbult’s Investment Model an example of
A theory of romantic relationships
an easy one to start off with
Elaborate on the commitment as the glue
Stability of a relationship over time is determined by how committed the individuals are to the relationship
That commitment depends on
-Satisfaction (does it fulfill needs?)
-Comparison of alternatives (better fulfilled in another relationship?)
-Investment (how much have u put in?)
What is the quality of alternatives
Attractive alternative = 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
What are intrinsic investments
What we put directly in
Time
Personal information
Money
Self disclosure
Energy
Emotions
What are extrinsic investments
Resources associated with the relationship
Shared things that may be lost
Shared pet
Network of friends
Children
Memories
What is a cognitive perspective on relationship maintenance and repairing
Committed partners think about each other and potential alternatives in specific and predictable ways
Unrealistically positive about their partner - positive illusions
Negative about tempting alternatives and other people’s relationships - ridiculing alternatives
What is research support of the investment model
To test hypothesis of commitment Rusbult asked college students in heterosexual relationships to complete questionnaires over a 7 month period
They 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 and whether it had ended
What is Le and Agnew’s supporting research in 2003
Conducted a meta-analysis of 52 studies, including 60 independent samples and 11,582 participants
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
Support for the model was obtained in predicting commitment in both relational domains (e.g., commitment to a romantic partnership) and non-relational domains (e.g., commitment to one’s job), but was significantly stronger in relational domains
yh fuck that
What is Rusbult and Martz’ 1995 research support that explained abusive relationships
Investment model is thought to be particularly valid and useful explanation of relationships involving intimate partner violence (IPV)
They asked women living in refuge why they had stayed with their abusive partners instead of leaving them as soon as the abuse began
As predicted by the model, women had left the greatest commitment to their relationship when their economic alternatives were poor and their investment was great
we’ve all been there issok
no?
What is a -ve evaluation of Goodfriend and Agnew 2008 that suggests the model oversimplifies investment
There is more to investment than the resources put into relationships
In the early stages there is very little investment is made
Investment in future plans - motivation to commit to each other to see their future plans, pan out
Limited explanation because it fail to recognise the true complexity of investment
