Testing the Rusbult Model of Relationship Commitment and Stability in a 15-Year Study of Heterosexual Couples
- 1 December 1996
- journal article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- Vol. 22 (12), 1244-1257
- https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672962212005
Abstract
This study tested Rusbult's investment model of relationship commitment and stability using data from both partners of 167 heterosexual couples studied from 1972 to 1987. Multiple regression analyses generally confirmed predictions that rewards and costs account for a significant proportion of the variance in satisfaction and that satisfaction, investments, and quality of alternatives together account for a significant proportion of the variance in commitment. Evidence about the hypothesized mediational role of subjective commitment in predicting the duration of relationships was mixed. Path analyses showed that Rusbult's model provided an adequate fit to the data and that the associations among variables were similar for men and women. The model successfully predicted relationship duration over a 15-year period. Limitations of the model and directions for future research are considered.Keywords
This publication has 18 references indexed in Scilit:
- The longitudinal course of marital quality and stability: A review of theory, methods, and research.Psychological Bulletin, 1995
- Should I stay or should I go? A dependence model of breakups.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1992
- The Dissolution of Intimate Relationships: A Hazard ModelSocial Psychology Quarterly, 1990
- Comparative fit indexes in structural models.Psychological Bulletin, 1990
- Satisfaction and Commitment in Homosexual and Heterosexual RelationshipsJournal of Homosexuality, 1986
- The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1986
- The Volunteer Couple: Sex Differences, Couple Commitment, and Participation in Research on Interpersonal RelationshipsSocial Psychology Quarterly, 1979
- Breakups Before Marriage: The End of 103 AffairsJournal of Social Issues, 1976
- A Social Psychological Perspective on Marital DissolutionJournal of Social Issues, 1976
- Notes on the Concept of CommitmentAmerican Journal of Sociology, 1960