What is The investment model of commitment?
Identifies commitment as the key to relationship stability
What is the interdependence theory of commitment?
emphasizing dependence in relationships
- Dependence = how much someone uniquely relies on a relationship for
valued outcomes/ rewards
Interdependence theory:
Types of Rewards
(Valued outcomes)
Tangible / intangible
- May be tangible/material (e.g., financial assistance, dinner waiting for you
when you get home) - But are also often intangible/social (affection, companionship, sexual
fulfillment)
Interdependence theory:
Costs
* Something that is punishing/frustrating
Tangible / intangible
- Can also be tangible/material (e.g., financial cost)
- Or intangible/social (e.g., jealousy, stress from frequent arguments or
relational uncertainty)
Interdependence theory:
What is Opportunity cost?
= cost of not pursuing a possible reward (e.g., taking a job in another city, having more time for hobbies)
According to interdependence theory, how do people generally feel about their relationship?
(Equation)
Outcome = rewards - costs
If higher rewards = Positive view
If higher costs = Negative view
Interdependence theory:
Is their outcome inherently how they feel about the relationship (Satisfaction)
No your internal standards and preferences will play a role
Ex. some person may LOVE a guy who argues and others will hate it
(even if same net outcome)
Interdependence theory:
What determines our satisfaction?
We evaluate the outcomes we receive relative to our comparison level (CL):
personal standard, what we feel we deserve
Satisfaction = Outcomes - Comparison Level
According to our comparison level, when are we happy?
When are we upset?
We’re happy when our outcomes exceed our CL, and disgruntled when they fall below our CL
* Thus, we can be dissatisfied even if relationship is highly rewarding or satisfied even if relationship is cost
So our comparison level really determines our satisfaction
What is Sacrifice in a relationship?
giving up one’s own immediate preferences/goals for the good of
the partner or the relationship
Perceiving that a partner has sacrificed can lead to….
increased appreciation, with potential positive consequences for the relationship
- BUT may depend on expectations around sacrifice
- Daily diary study: Perceiving a partner’s sacrifice led to increase in partner appreciation & relationship satisfaction only if recipient’s expectations were low (seen as a positive surprise)
How do we develop our comparison level?
- Previous relationship experiences (how others have treated us in the past)
- Observing others’ relationships (personal experience or the media)
- Personality dispositions (e.g., self-esteem)
Interdependence theory: What is dependence?
Dependence = how free a person feels to leave the relationship (how strongly tied a person is to another)
- Function of how our outcomes in a given relationship compare to possible alternative outcomes (how well you think you could do elsewhere)
Dependence = Outcomes - CL(standards) alt
What is CLalt in interdependence ?
Current perception of how well you could do outside the relationship
- What we expect we could get
(is being single better, are there other attractive options)
* Standard against which we decide to stay or leave
* The lowest level of outcomes we will tolerate
Which Factors affect CLalt?
Individual differences—e.g.,
➢ Higher self-esteem → greater perceptions of available options
➢ Fear of being single (Spielmann et al., 2013)
* Cultural & structural factors
➢ How socially acceptable is singlehood?
➢ Feasibility of living on single income
* Opportunity to encounter alternatives (e.g., proximity)
Dependance
If Dependance is positive, relationship is____
If Dependance is negative, relationship is____
Stable
Unstable
Best relationship mix:
Happy and Stable
What is the Investment model of commitment?
commitment is the central force that maintains relationships
- Commitment = psychological state that captures subjective sense of
dependence on the relationship
➢ Includes feelings of emotional attachment and desire to continue
relationship
➢ Long-term orientation: imagining oneself being involved with the partner in distant future
➢ Predicts relationship-maintenance behaviors
➢ Best predictor of relationship stability
In the Investment model of commitment, what contributes to your commitment level?
Satisfaction level (positive)
Quality of alternatives (not many / good alternatives)
Investment size (postive - they’re invested)
What are Investments in a relationship?
Investments = all the ways people become
tied to the relationship over time
- Everything tied to the relationship that
would be lost if the relationship were to
end - The more that’s invested, the harder it is to
leave — because ending the relationship
means losing those investments. - Can be direct or indirect, material or
psychological, intentional or unintentional
What are direct investments?
Resources you deliberately put into the relationship.
* Time, energy, care, emotional labor.
E.g.,
* Opening up emotionally — sharing vulnerabilities, receiving support
* Personal sacrifices — e.g., turning down a job, moving cities, adjusting lifestyle
What are indirect investments?
Resources that become intertwined with the relationship over time.
* E.g., shared friends, routines, possessions, memories, social networks
* Things that used to be “mine” or “yours” become “ours.”
* Losing the relationship means losing these interconnected aspects of life
Indirect investments
What is Identity-based investments?
the relationship becomes part of who you are
➢ E.g., Taylor begins to see herself not just as “Taylor,” but as “Taylor-and-Travis”
Indirect investments
What is Cognitive interdependence?
partners begin to think as a unit
➢ People remember information about partners almost as easily as about
themselves.
➢ Transactive memory systems
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Class 114
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Class 261
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Class 315
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Class 433
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Class 529
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Class 619
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Class 724
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Class 823
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Class 915
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Class 1021
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Class 1133
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Class 1226
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Class 1322
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Class 14: Attachment 138
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Class 1526
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Class 1631
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Class 17: Sexuality 138
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Class 1842
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Class 19: Conflict 153
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Class 2041
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Class 21: Gaslighting8
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Class 22: Power, Influence, & Violence 132
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Class 2316
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Class 24: Relationship dissolution 17
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Class 2543
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Singlehood16
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Couples Therapy8
