Theories Of Relationships - The Investment Model

Question 1

Who created it

Answer 1

Rusbult invented the investment model of commitment

Question 2

Aim and outline of Study 1983

Answer 2

Longitudinal study
Done a survey on pp own relationship to determine whether satisfaction level, investment level and quality of alternatives affected level of commitment
-to them predict how long the relationship would last

Question 3

Results

Answer 3

commitment was strongly correlated to whether relationships lasted rather than satisfaction level.

Commitment levels were ^ wheresatisfaction and investment levels were ^ and the quality of alternatives was low.

Question 4

What’s commitment

Answer 4

The partner’s desire to continue the relationship believing it has a long-term future.
-^ satisfaction and investment = ^ commitment
- presence of alternatives weekens commitment.

Question 5

Satisfaction

Answer 5

Is based on CL (amount person thinks they deserve)
-if reward outweighs cost relationship is seen as profitable
Also use CLAT- compare relationships to alternatives that may have greater rewards.

Question 6

Investment

Answer 6

Committing to a relationship based on the resources they provide you, that you wouldn’t have without them.
-most important factor in maintaining commitment

Question 7

What are the two types of investment

Answer 7

Intrinsic investment- resources put directly into the relationship eg money, personal info

Extrinsic investment- possession received in the relationship thaternt their before eg children, pet, house

Question 8

Rusbult- commitment

Answer 8

commitment was the main psychological factor that causes people to stay in a relationship, not satisfaction
-this could explain why dissatisfied people stay in relationships eg domestic abuse
-as they committed to a partner and made an investment they don’t want to waste so they work to maintain the relationship

Question 9

Supporting evidence for commitment being main factor in long lasting relationships

Answer 9

Lee and agrew
- meta-analysis of 11,000 pp from 5 countries
-found satisfaction, investment levels and quality of alternatives all predict commitment
- and relationships w higher commitment = more successful
-in both heterosexual and homosexual couple ✅- high population validity
-✅large sample size and no cultural bias

Question 10

Strengths of theory

Answer 10

Real life application - explain why people who are abused stay - cause they’re not satisfied but they’re committed to their investment

Self-report- qualitative primary data gets individuals perception of their relationship more reliable than observing as it’s up to them what effects their commitment

Question 11

Weakness’ of theory

Answer 11

❌ too deterministic relationship breakdown and commitment level isn’t just due to these factors, relationships are a lot more complex than that and could be due to extraneous variables.

❌correlational no cause and affect- commitment levels could make you feel more invested and satisfied and not the other way round.

❌- difficult to measure satisfaction and investment levels