Theories Of Romantic Relationships: Rusbults Theory Of Romantic Relationship Flashcards
Investment model meaning and 3 factors
Suggests maintenance of a relationship is determined by commitment (likelihood rel will persist)
Satisfaction
Comparison with alternatives
Investment
Satisfaction
Based on concept of comparison level
Satisfying relationship is judged by comparing rewards + costs + is seen to be profitable if it has any rewards and few costs
Rewards (support, companionship, intimacy, comfort)
Costs (anxiety, conflicts, trust issues)
Each partner is generally satisfied if they r getting more out of the relationship than they expect based on previous experience and social norms
Quality of alternatives
Attractive alternative = they may leave relationship as someone else is better suited to fulfil their needs
No alternative exists = they may maintain relationship (increases satisfaction)
However, sometimes having no relationship is more attractive alternative than being in an unsatisfactory one
Investment
Anything a person puts into a relationship that will be lost if it ends
Investments create a powerful psychological inducement to persist with a relationship
Investment size = measure of all resources that r attached to relationship and contributes to stability
Intrinsic investments
Things put directly into relationship
Time, personal Info (self disclosure etc)
Extrinsic investments
Shared things that may be lost (shared pet, network of friends, house, kids, memories)
What does Rustbult argue the main psychological factor that causes people to stay in romantic relationships is?
Commitment as causes people to stay in relationships, even dissatisfied partners may choose to stay in relationships as don’t want to see investments go to waste so work hard to repair damage aged relationship
Maintenance mechanisms - may put partners needs and interests first
Cognitive - partners r unrealistically positive about partner + negative abut tempting alternatives + other peoples relationships much more so than less committed partners
Strength - rust + martz - abuse
Asked women why they stayed with abusive partners instead of leaving asap
As predicted by model, women had felt greatest commitment to relationship when alternatives were poor and investments were greater
Supports model in saying commitment as don’t want investment’s to go to waste
Limitation - correlational
Most research support is correlational
Model predicts investement is positively correlated with investement, More u invest the more u commit
However even strictest correlation doesn’t imply causation
Studies don’t allow us to conclude that any factors (satisfaction) cause commitment
There may be a third variable that causes commitment in relationship that we need to look into
So may not be as useful as correlation doesn’t not suggest cause and effect
Strength - uni students notes
Counter - question are
Over 7 months uni students kept notes of relationship and did questionaries
Kept notes about how satisfactory their relationship were, investements and alternatives
Satisfaction, comparison and investment contributed to commitment or break up
Support
Counter - questionaire = self report so may be some social desirability bias so may nit be truthful/valid
Support generalise - le and Agnew
52 studies involving 5 different countries and all types of relationships
Found all 3 factors contributed to commitment
Culturally generalisable as mix so useful and can apply to everyone
