theories of romantic relationships: Rusbult's investment model

Question 1

Rusbult’s investment model is a development of what other theory of romantic relationships?

Answer 1

social exchange theory (SET)

Question 2

investment model suggests that commitment depends on

Answer 2

satisfaction level, comparison with alternatives and investment size

Question 3

investment model states that a satisfying relationship is one where

Answer 3

the partners are getting more out of the relationship than they expect, given the social norms and their previous experiences

Question 4

the model suggests that commitment to a relationship is based on 3 things:

Answer 4

1- investment (the resources associated with a romantic relationship which part
2- satisfaction (extent to which romantic partners feel the rewards of the relationships exceed the costs)
3- comparison with alternatives (a judgement partners make concerning whether a relationship with a different partner would bring more rewards and fewer costs)

• overall commitment determines the repair strategies that a partner is willing to employ

Question 5

what are the 2 types of investment?

Answer 5

1- intrinsic investment: any resources we put directly into a relationship, including tangible items e.g. money or intangibles e.g. energy and self-disclosure

2- extrinsic investment: resources that previously did not feature in the relationship, but are now closely associated with it including tangible items e.g. jointly purchased house or children and intangibles e.g. shared memories

Question 6

the model focuses on _________ as the determining factor as to whether a relationship continues or not, rather than satisfaction alone

Answer 6

commitment

Question 7

if the partner experiences high levels of satisfaction and the alternatives are less attractive and the sizes of their investment are increasing then we can confidently predict that they will be _________ to their relationship

Answer 7

committed

Question 8

commitment matters more than satisfaction- the model explains why a dissatisfied partner stays in a relationship by pointing to

Answer 8

the level of investment they have made- they will be willing to work hard to repair problemsin the relationship so their investment is not wasted

Question 9

committed partners use maintenance behaviours to keep the relationship going for example:

Answer 9

• putting their partners’ interests first (willingness to sacrifice)
• forgiving them for any serious transgressions (forgiveness)
• a partner may be unrealistically positive about their partner (positive illusions)
• a partner may be negative about tempting alternatives (derogation of alternatives)

Question 10

what are the evaluation points for Rusbult’s investment model?

Answer 10

• able to explain why people might stay in an abusive relationship
• model perhaps oversimplifies investment
• strength and weakness= supporting evidence based upon self-reports
• use of correlations

Question 11

explain how the model is able to explain why people might stay in an abusive relationship

Answer 11

• been identified that women who reported making the greatest investment and who had the fewest attractive alternatives were most likely to return to return to the partners who abused them
• satisfaction has not been able to explain this tendency but the level of commitment can
• this is a strength because it explains the inexplicable behaviour of staying in an abusive relationship

Question 12

explain how the model perhaps oversimplifies investment

Answer 12

• it is common that in the early stages of a relationship, few investments have been made and the model needs to take into account investment in future plans
• investment in future plans motivates partners to commit so that the plans can become a reality
• this means the original model is a limited explanation as it fails to consider the true complexity of investment at different stages of relationships