Rusbults investment model

• What is rubults investment model

  Commitment has 3 factors: satisfaction, comparison w alternatives, investment size.

  Model is a development of SET
• what is investment size in rusbults model


  Investment to explain why relationships dont end as soon as costs outweigh profit or more attractive alternate appears.

  Extent of recources lost if ended:

  Inteinsic investment- direct like money time

  Extrinsic investement- new things like children memories
• Satisfaction vs commitment in rusbults investment model


  main psychological factor causing relationship continuation is commitment > people dont want investments to go to waste > work hard to repair damaged relationship
• Strength of rusbults investment model


  Meta analysis of 52 studies over 30 years with 11000 participants in 5 countries found 3 commitment factors do predict relationship commitment level. Findings same for men,women,gay, straight.

  valid global explanation
• Weakness of rubsults investment model

  Goodfriend + agnew say more to investment than recources at start of relationship and includes future plans.

  Believed people motivated by idea of successful plans in future.

  Origional model limited as doesnt recognise complexity of future commitments
• strength of rubsults investment model


  self report methods were appropriate to use because objectivity isnt important here as everyone has own perception of whats important (persons own decision if their investment worth it)
• strength of rubsults investment model


  explains abusive relationships as factor for staying is not satisfaction.

  found women return to abuser if had big investment. shows importance of investment explanation.