Benjamin Le

Commitment and its theorized determinants: A meta–analysis of the Investment Model

We conducted a meta-analysis of Rusbult’s Investment Model of commitment. Across 52 studies, including 60 independent samples and 11,582 participants, satisfaction with, alternatives to, and investments in a relationship each correlated significantly with commitment to that relationship. Moreover, these three variables collectively accounted for nearly two-thirds of the variance in commitment. Commitment, in turn, was found to be a significant predictor of relationship breakup. Support for the model was obtained in predicting commitment in both relational domains (e.g., commitment to a romantic partnership) and nonrelational domains (e.g., commitment to one’s job), but was significantly stronger in relational domains. Additional moderator analyses suggested that the associations between commitment and its theorized bases vary minimally as a function of demographic (e.g., ethnicity) or relational (e.g., duration) factors. We review theoretical strengths and shortcomings of the Investment Model and identify directions for future research. Research on social psychological dimensions

Can You Tell That I’m in a Relationship? Attachment and Relationship Visibility on Facebook

People often attempt to shape others’ perceptions of them, but the role of romantic relationships in this process is unknown. The present set of studies investigates relationship visibility, the centrality of relationships in the self-images that people convey to others. We propose that attachment underlies relationship visibility and test this hypothesis across three studies in the context of Facebook. Avoidant individuals showed low desire for relationship visibility, whereas anxious individuals reported high desired visibility (Studies 1 and 2); however, similar motives drove both groups’ actual relationship visibility (Study 1). Moreover, both avoidant individuals and their partners were less likely to make their relationships visible (Studies 1 and 3). On a daily basis, when people felt more insecure about their partner’s feelings, they tended to make their relationships visible (Study 3). These studies highlight the role of relationships in how people portray themselves to others.

Missing you maintains us: Missing a romantic partner, commitment, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity

Working from the perspective of interdependence theory and models of relationship maintenance, this study examined the functional role of missing a romantic partner during a brief geographic separation. Eighty-eight undergraduate students involved in romantic relationships completed a measure of commitment prior to separation, and measures of missing a romantic partner, relationship maintenance, and physical infidelity during their winter break. Commitment was associated with participants’ self-reports of missing their romantic partners. Further, commitment predicted participants’ use of relationship maintenance strategies (i.e., positivity, openness, and assurances) and physical infidelity during the separation. These associations were mediated by how much participants missed their romantic partners. Findings are discussed in terms of interdependence theory and the growing literature on geographic distance between relationship partners.

Imagining the White Picket Fence: Social Class, Future Plans, and Romantic Relationship Quality

Previous research has established that individuals from a lower social class report lower relationship quality. However, to date, no studies have examined interdependence processes within the relationship as a mechanism underlying this association. The present research investigates the role of planned tangible investments as a mediator between social class and relationship quality. Across two studies, we test this hypothesis correlationally (Study 1) and experimentally (Study 2). As predicted, lower-class individuals reported fewer planned tangible investments, which in turn were associated with lower relationship satisfaction and commitment (Studies 1 and 2), as well as overall satisfaction with life (Study 2). Together, these studies suggest the importance of perceived ability to make future plans for individual and relationship well-being. This research has implications for understanding relationship quality and mental health among lower-class populations, and the findings are discussed in relation to the growing literature on social class and romantic relationships.