AO1

• Commitment – the likelihood that an individual will persist with their current relationship. It is a product of high satisfaction and investment in the relationship and low quality of alternatives. 
• Investment – a measure of all the resources attached to the relationship, which would be lost if the relationship were to end. 
• Investment model – an explanation of relationship stability that emphasises the importance of three factors in determining relationship commitment, which in turn predicts relationship stability. 
• Quality of alternatives/comparison with alternatives – an individuals assessment of whether their needs might be better fulfilled by somebody other than their current partner.
• Satisfaction – a measure of the degree to which the current partner gratifies a person’s important needs.  
• The investment model was proposed by Rusbult (1980) as a development of SET. It was developed because many couples do stay together despite the costs outweighing the rewards in a relationship which suggested that there were other factors which played a role.  
• • In the investment model, Rusbult believes it acts as a maintenance factor in relationships even when the couple may go through difficulties they will not want to break up and see their prior investment going to waste 
  • However, it can also be seen as aa consequence of increasing dependence in a relationship e.g. if an individual is comfortable in their relationship and sees no alternatives that may be more desirable along with having investments in the relationship that they do not want to walk away from it may result in dependency on the relationship. 
• Satisfaction – a measure of the degree to which the current partner gratifies a person’s important needs. 

  • Partners will have a higher level of satisfaction in their relationship if they receive more rewards and less disadvantages. 
  • Rewards may be emotional support, companionship whereas disadvantages may be arguments. 
  • Satisfaction may be felt with equal domestic task sharing divisions in the household, compassionate interactions between both partners sharing and through the meeting of  sexual desires. 
• Comparison with alternatives –

  • For example, if an individual perceives that there is an attractive alternative that would provide better outcomes and fulfil their needs more than their current partner it may lead them towards the alternative away from the current relationship. An attractive alternative can also be having no relationship at all rather than somebody else. 
  • If no alternatives are present then an individual may simply persist with the current relationship due to lack of better options. 
• Who believes that investment is the most important factor maintaining commitment in a relationship?

  Rusbult
• How does investment size contribute to relationship stability according to Rusbult?

  It measures the resources attracted to the relationship that would be lost if it ended
• What are examples of resources that can be considered as investment size in a relationship?

  Sharing friends, investing time and energy, having shared possessions
• What are tangible investments in a relationship?

  Money or possessions
• What are intangible investments in a relationship?

  Memories together or people they will lose if they leave the relationship
• How do investments affect the defense of a relationship?

  They increase connections with the partner that would be costly to break
• What are the two types of investment in a relationship?

  • Intrinsic: Effort, money, possessions, self-disclosure
  • Extrinsic: Friends, children, memories
• What is intrinsic investment in a relationship?


  Things that a partner puts directly into the relationship, such as effort and self-disclosure
• What is extrinsic investment in a relationship?


  Things brought into people's lives through the relationship, such as friends and memories
• What conclusion did Rusbult reach regarding investment size and commitment in relationships?

  The bigger the investment, the more likely someone is to stay in the relationship