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Investment model of commitment and social motivation:
How does the investment model of commitment relate to social motivation?
Image of children coming together playing with firecrackers.

Overview

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Scenario

Maya is in a relationship with Daniel. They rarely fight and generally enjoy each other’s company, over the years, she and Daniel have built a life together—they’ve adopted a dog, share an apartment, and have mutual friends. She recently got a job offer in another city and met new, interesting people.

How would you feel about approaching the job offer? Would you leave what you have with your partner? Why?

Focus question
  • Is the level of commitment to a relationship really dependent on how satisfied people are with the outcomes?

What is Social Motivation

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  • Refers to the exploration of what factors encourage people to engage in social interactions. - reference
  • The observable effort exerted to form and maintain social bonds. - reference
  • How social interactions affect a person's motivation and behaviours - reference

Whats[grammar?] is the Investment Model of Commitment

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  • Explains why people remain in relationships: determined by the outcomes one sees in relationship and what one expects out of the relationship. - reference
  • Three major factors believed that maintain commitment in relationships: Satisfaction level, comparison with alternatives, and investment size. - reference
  • Origin of Investment Model of Commitment - briefly discuss how Caryl Rusbult came to develop this - reference

Application of the Theory in the Real World

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Case Study

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  • Rusbult conducted longitudinal studies with dating couples and found that:
    • Those with higher satisfaction, more investments, and fewer quality alternatives were more likely to stay together over time.
    • Commitment was the strongest predictor of whether relationships endured. - reference

Research

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  • Study aimed to replicate and broaden the application of the Investment Model by testing it on a large sample of married couples over 18 months. The model’s core variables—satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and investments—explained only a modest portion of commitment (16% for husbands, 22% for wives), possibly due to limited variability in responses (e.g., ceiling effects). The study suggests that moral obligation may play a more significant role in married couples' commitment compared to those who are dating or cohabiting. - reference
  • A cohort study of young adults in Los Angeles found that the Investment Model effectively predicts how individuals categorize their nonmarital sexual relationships. Changes in satisfaction, investment, and alternatives were linked to shifts in relationship labels. - reference
  • Pets and Owners - reference

Criticisms and Limitations of the Theory

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  • Over emphasis of rational decision making

Conclusion

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See also

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References

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Baker, Z. G., Petit, W. E., & Brown, C. M. (2016). An Investigation of the Rusbult Investment Model of Commitment in Relationships with Pets. Anthrozoös, 29(2), 193–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2015.1092732

Geen, R. G. (1991). Social Motivation. Annual Review of Psychology, 42(1), 377–399. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.42.020191.002113

Hadden, B. W., Harvey, S. M., Settersten, R. A., & Agnew, C. R. (2018). What Do I Call Us? The Investment Model of Commitment Processes and Changes in Relationship Categorization. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 10(2), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617745115

Hamilton, A. (2017, September 15). Social Motivation. Serious Science. https://serious-science.org/social-motivation-8756

PALLONE, N. (2017). Love, Romance, Sexual Interaction.

Pittman, T. S., & Heller, J. F. (1987). Social Motivation. Annual Review of Psychology, 38(1), 461–490. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.38.020187.002333

Reis, H., Aron, A., Clark, M., Holmes, J., & Van Lange, P. (2010). Caryl E. Rusbult (1952–2010). American Psychologist, 65(6), 615–615. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0019563

Rusbult, C., Agnew, C., & Arriaga, X. (2011). Purdue e-Pubs The Investment Model of Commitment Processes. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?params=/context/psychpubs/article/1025/&path_info=Investment_Model_of_Commitment_Processes_Author_Accepted_Manuscript_Agnew.pdf

Social Motivation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (n.d.). Www.sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/social-motivation

Wikipedia Contributors. (2023, April 17). Caryl Rusbult. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryl_Rusbult

Yoesoep Edhie Rachmad. (2024). Social Motivation Theory. OSF. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/E8W73

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