Rusbult's investment model Flashcards
What is Rusbults investment model a development of?
Social Exchange theory
According to Rusbult, commitment depends on what three factors?
-Satisfaction
-Comparison with alternatives
-Investment size.
What is it meant by satisfaction?
Satisfaction is based on the concept of the Comparison level. A satisfying relationship is judged by comparing rewards and costs and it is seen to be profitable if it was many rewards and few costs. Each partner is generally satisfied if they are getting more out of a relationship than they expect based on previous experience and social norms.
Why did Rubsbult introduce Investment as a crucial factor for commitment?
Comparison levels and comparison levels for alternatives derived from the social exchange theory are not enough to explain commitment and why many relationships do not just end when the costs outweigh the benefits. Therefore, investment was introduced.
Define investment.
the extent and importance of the resources associated with the relationship (anything we would lose if the relationship were to end.
What are the two types of investment?
Intrinsic and extrinsic investments.
What is an intrinsic investment?
Intrinsic investments are resources we put directly into a relationship (that we had before).
What is an extrinsic investment?
Extrinsic investments are resources that did not feature in the relationship before but are now closely associated with it.
Give an example of intrinsic investment.
Money and energy
Give an example of extrinsic investments.
kids, pets or car.
Features of a committed relationship:
The partners in a relationship experience:
-high levels of satisfaction
-the alternatives are less attractive
- the sizes of their investment is increasing
Explain the argument for commitment over satisfaction.
Rusbult argues the main psychological factor that causes people to stay in romantic relationships is not satisfaction but commitment and this can help to explain why dissatisfied partners may stay in a relationship- because they are committed to their partner and do not want to see their investment go to waste. Therefore they will work hard to maintain and repair a damaged relationship especially if it hits a rough patch.
Give a strength of Rusbult’s investment model. (research evidence).
A meta-anaylisis reviewed 52 studies from the 1970s to 1999 which included 11,000 participants from 5 different countries. They found that satisfaction, comparison with alternatives and investment size all predict a relationships commitment level. An especially supporting finding was that this was the outcome for both men and women across all cultures and for both homosexual and heterosexual couples. This suggests that there is some validity to Rusbult’s claim that these factors are universally important.
Give a limitation of Rusbults investment model (oversimplifies investment).
Goodfriend and Agnew point out that there is more to investment than just the resources you have already put into a relationship. In the early stages of a relationship and the partners will have made few investments. Goodfriend and Agent extended Rusbult’s original model by including the investment romantic partners make in their future plans. They motivated to commit to each other because they want to see their plans for the future work out. The original model is a limited explication of romantic relationships as it fails to recognise the true complexity of investment.
Give a strength of Rusbult’s investment model (methodological strengths)
A lot of the evidence supporting the investment model relies on self-report measures such as questionnaires and interviews. However, these are appropriate methods because it is not the objective reality of factors such as investment size that matters. What matters is the individual partners perceptions of these factors. If you believe you have made a large investment in your relationship, this will influence your commitment to it.
