Research

• Rusbult & Martz 

  interviews conducted with women living in a shelter for ‘battered’ women revealed that those who felt more invested in the relationship, who had fewer alternatives due to lack of money and who expressed greater satisfaction with the relationship were more likely to return to their abusive partner than women who reported different feelings and circumstances
• Le and Agnew’s(2003)study. They conducted a meta-analysis of 52 studies, featuring 11,000 participants in total, and discovered that satisfaction, comparison with alternatives and investment greatly contributed to commitment; and that commitment was a defining feature of long-lasting relationships.