Rusbult’s Investment Model

• Investment model of relationshipsRusbult (1983)


  •Suggests that the maintenance of a relationship is determined by commitment.In this context commitment refers to the likelihood that the relationship will persist.
• •Commitment can be strengthened by:–Satisfaction–Investment
• •Commitment is weakened by:–Presence of alternatives to the relationship
• •According to Rusbult et al. (201 1), commitment depends on three factors1.satisfaction level2.Comparison to alternatives3.Investment size
• •SATISFACTION AND COMPARISON WITH ALTERNATIVES

  •Satisfaction is based on the concept of the comparison level (CL). A satisfying relationship is judged by comparing rewards and costs, and is seen to be profitable if it has many rewards (e.g. support, sex, companionship) and few costs (e.g. conflicts, anxiety).•Each partner is generally satisfied if they are getting more out of the relationship than they expect based on previous experience and social norms.
• •SATISFACTION AND COMPARISON WITH ALTERNATIVES

  •Comparison with alternatives (CLalt) results in romantic partners asking themselves, 'Could my needs be better met outside my current relationship? Are the alternatives more rewarding and less costly?'.
• Investment Size

  •Rusbult realised that the CL and CLalt derived from SET are not enough to explain commitment.•If they were, then many more relationships would end as soon as either the costs outweighed the rewards (representing a loss) or more attractive alternatives presented themselves.•Therefore she introduced a crucial third factor influencing commitment — investment.
• Investment Size


  1.Intrinsic investments are any resources we put directly into the relationship. They can be tangible things such as money and possessions. They can also be resources less easy to quantify (intangibles) such as energy, emotion, and self-disclosures.
• Investment Size

  1.Extrinsic investments are resources that previously did not feature in the relationship, but are now closely associated with it. Tangibles include possessions bought together (for example, a car), mutual friends acquired since the relationship began and children. A good example of an intangible is shared memories.
• •SATISFACTION VERSUS COMMITMENT

  •Rusbult et al. argue that the main psychological factor that causes people to stay in romantic relationships is not satisfaction but commitment.•This is an important distinction, because it can help to explain why dissatisfied partners may choose to stay in a relationship — it's because they are committed to their partner.
• Why Are They So Committed

  •That's because they have made an investment that they do not want to see go to waste. Therefore they will work hard to maintain and repair a damaged relationship, especially when it hits a rough patch.
• •RELATIONSHIP MAINTENANCE MECHANISMS

  •According to the model, enduring partners do not engage in tit-for-tat retaliation but instead act to promote the relationship (accommodation).•They will also put their partner's interests first (willingness to sacrifice)•Forgive them for any serious transgressions (forgiveness).
• •RELATIONSHIP MAINTENANCE MECHANISMS

  •There is also a cognitive element to relationship maintenance and repair. Committed partners think about each other and potential alternatives in specific (and predictable) ways. They are unrealistically positive about their partner (positive illusions), and negative about tempting alternatives and other people's relationships (ridiculing alternatives), much more so than less committed partners.