Commitment and relationship maintenance

is relationship satisfaction a good predictor of staying together

no

investment model of commitment

grounded in interdependence theory, commitment as the key to relationship stability.

• comitment is the psychological sense of dependence

interdependence theory: rewards and costs

1. any pleasures one enjoys as a result of an interaction, tangible and intangible

2. costs: punishing/frustrating results of an interaction (annoyance)

interdependance theory outcome formula

outcome= rewards-costs

satisfaction in interdependence theory

same outcomes are not equal for all, it is how we evaluate those outcomes

interdependence theory: what is satisfaction

outcomes- comparison level (what we expect)

sacrifice study

when expectations were lower, the sacrifice increeased appreciation but when they were high, it did not

where do comparison levels come from 3

1. previous relationships

2. observing other relationships

3. personality dispositions

interdependence theory: dependence

how free a person feels to leave the relationship (how strongly the people are tied)

function of how outcomes compare to alternative possibilities

dependence= outcomes- CLalt

CL alt is a measure of what

what we could get in another relationship or other alternatives (friendship, hobbies)

what factors affect CL alt

1. individual differences (self esteem/ fear of single hood)

2. cultural (how socially acceptable singleness is)

3. opportunity to encounter alternatives

satisfaction formula is a measure of____ whereas dependence is a measure of __

happiness, stability

for a happy and stable relationship your outcome must be higher than

both CL and CLalt

investment model of commitment: what goes into commitment 3

1. satisfcation level

2. quality of alternative 

3. investment size: all of the ways people are bound to their relationship

direct investment

resources you deliberately put into the relationship

eg time/care/emotional labour

indirect investment

resources that become intertwined iver time (finds, possessions, memories)

indirect investment: identity based investment

relationship becomes part of who you are (sense of self)

indirect investment: cognitive interdependence

partners think as unit

• remeber information about partners as easily as ones own

• transactive memory systems

normative and moral investmnet is a form of what type of of investment

indirect

commitment is linked with

high satisfaction poor alternatives and large investments

relationship inertia

when couples make early investments  that increase difficulty of breaking up they slide into staying together as opposed to consciously chosing to do so

transformation of motivation

transition of immediate satisfaction (exchange relationship) to long term welness of partner or relationship (communal relationship )

accommodation

greater willingness to respond to destructive acts with constructive response

attention on alternatives study

• primed with romantic/sexual thought or neutral

• attractive face shown then must categorize probe

• if it takes longer to categorize probe person was attending to attractive face

findings: when primed with secual thoughts, more attentional adheion for single but not committed relationships

derogation of alternatives

downplay the atttractiveness of potential alternative partners

commitment calibration hypothesis study

1. ps evaluate new dating service

2. presented profiles in moderate or high threat condition

findings:

low commitment group rated profile highly, 

high commitment rated profile ususally in moderate threat but devalued in high threat

moderat commitment: devalued in moderate commitment but did not with high threat

active sacrifice vs passive sacrifice

doing something you dont want to do vs giving up something you want to do

willingness to sacrifice is predicted by

commitment

2 types of motovation for sacrifice

approach (sacrifice to make partner happy)  and avoid (sacrifice to avoid conflict)

avoidance motivation have a high bias attention toward __ __

negative stimuli

approach motivation reasons led to higher

positive affect, life and relationship satisfaction

for the partner, the reasoning for sacrifice does not matter T or F

F

what does sacrificing for avoidant reasons undermine ?

sense of authenticity

interdeoendent self construal

how you define yourself in relation to relationships

if you are high in interdependedt self construal you

see self as deeply interconnected

study on interdependent sense of self and sacrifice motivation findings

sacrificing for avoidant reasons is buffered by high interdendent self construal (does not seem inauthentic)