Chutes and Ladders: A Grounded Theory Analysis of Commitment and Betrayal in Intimate Relationships

The purpose of this study was to use qualitative grounded theory methods to explore how commitment and betrayal are experienced in intimate relationships. Participants were recruited through convenience and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and constructivist grounded theory methods were used to code the data and generate analytic categories that were arranged into a process model. Findings suggest that commitment is experienced through five main dimensions: fidelity, prioritization, relational investment, wholeheartedness, and endurance. Betrayal was experienced through turning to someone or something outside the relationship, lying, unequal levels of commitment, and emotional or verbal aggression. The model shows how experiences of both commitment and betrayal lead to outcomes including changes in trust, emotional safety, connection, relational stability, and whether partners' needs were being met. Implications from this study include providing therapists and researchers with a more nuanced framework for understanding and assessing clients' lived experiences of commitment and betrayal.