Investment Model, Equity, and Social Support Determinants of Relationship Commitment

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the explanatory power of several predictors of relationship commitment. Relationship commitment was expected to vary directly with satisfaction, investments, and social support for the relationship and inversely with alternative quality and inequity. The hypotheses were tested with data collected from both partners of 197 couples. Results showed that all of the predictor variables except investments were related to relationship commitment, and in the directions predicted. The two most important predictors of relationship commitment were alternatives and satisfaction.