Rusbult's investment model

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Satisfaction and comparison with alternatives

  • According to Rusbult et al, committment depends on three factors. The three factors include: satisfaction level, comparison for alternatives and investment size. The investment model is a development of social exchange theory.
  • Satisfaction is based on the concept of the comparison level.
  • A satisfying relationship is judged by comparing rewards and costs.
  • If a relationship is seen to be profitable if it has many rewards such as supports, sex, companionship and there is little costs such as conflicts and anxiety.
  • Each partner is satisfied if they getting more out of the relationship than they expect based on previous experience and social norms.
  • Alternatives include not just relationships with other people, but the possibility of having no romantic relationships at all.
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Investment size

  • Rusbult realised that CL and CLalt from SET are not enough to explain committment.
  • She introduced a crucial third factor influencing committment which is investment.
  • Investment refers to the extent and importance of the resources associated with the relationship.
  • An investment can be understood as anything we would lose if the relationship were to end.
  • Resbult argues that there two types of investment:
    • Intrinsic investments are any resources we put directly into the relationships. They can be tangible such as money. They can be resources which are intangible such as energy, emotion and self-disclosures.
    • Extrinsic investments are resources that previously did not feature in the relationship, but now closely associated with it. Tangibles include possessions bought together (a car), mutual friends since the relationship began and children and shared memories (intangible).
  • If partners experience high levels of satisfaction and the alternatives are less attractive and the sizes of their investment are increasing, then we can predict that partners will be committed to the relationship.
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Satisfaction V committment

  • Rusbult et al argues that the main psychological factor that causes people to stay in romantic relationships is not satisfaction but committment.
  • This is an important distinction - it can help to explain why dissatisfied partners may choose to stay in a relationship - its because they are committed to their partner.
  • They are so committed because they have made an investment that they do not want to see go to waste.
  • Thus, they will work hard to maintain and repair a damaged relationship, even when it hits a rough patch.
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Relationship maintenance mechanisms

  • Commitment expresses itself in everyday maintenance behaviours.
  • According to the model, enduring partners do not engage in retaliation but instead act to promote the relationship.
  • They will put their partner's interests first and forgive them for any serious transgressions.
  • There is a cognitive element to relationship maintenance and repair.
  • Committed partners think about each other and potential alternatives in specific ways.
  • They are unrealistically positive about their partner and negative about tempting alternatives.
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Evaluation of Rusbult's investment theory

  • There is supporting evidence for the investment model.
  • The evidence comes from a meta-analysis by Benjamin Le and Christopher Angnew.
  • They reviews 52 studies, some studies included 11,000 participants from 5 countries.
  • They found that satisfaction, comparison with alternatives and investment size all predicted relationship committment.
  • Relationships in which committment was greated were the most stable and lasted the longest.
  • This suggests that there is some validity to Rusbult's claim that these factors are universally important features of romantic relationships as this claim was true to both men and women, across all cultures and for homosexual and heterosexual couples.
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Evaluation of Rusbult's investment theory

  • The theory explains abusive relationships.
  • Caryl Rusbult and John Martz studied battered women at a shelter and found that those most likely to return to an abusive partner reported making the greatest investment and having the fewest attractive alternatives.
  • The model recognises that a victim of abusive relationships does not have to be satisfied with a relationship to stay in it.
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Evaluation of Rusbult's investment theory

  • Wind Goodfriend and Christopher Agnew point out that there is more to investment that just the resources you have already put into a relationship.
  • Goodfriend and Agnew extended Rusbult's investment model by including the investment romantic partners make in their future plans.
  • They are motivated to commit to each other because they want to see their cherished plans for the future work out.
  • The original model is a limited explanation of RR because it fails to recognise the true complexity of investment, and how planning for the future influences committment.
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Evaluation of Rusbult's investment theory

  • The evidence supporting the investment model relies on self-report measures such as questionaires and interviews.
  • 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.
  • Is it your belief that you have made a big investment in your current relationship
  • Is it your belief that yiu have no attractive alternatives, that will influence your committment.
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Evaluation of Rusbult's investment theory

  • There are strong correlations have been found between all the important factors predicted the investment model.
  • The strongest correlation has no evidence for causation.
  • Most studies do not allow us to conclude that any of the factors actually cause commitment in a relationship.
  • It could be that the more committed you feel towards your partner, the more investment you are willing to make in the relationship, so the direction of causality may be the reverse of that predicted by the model.
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