Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Correspondence concerning this manuscript should be sent to the first author at sstanley du. In this theoretical paper, we review central concepts in the psychological literature on relationship commitment to provide a foundation to discuss two themes related to long-term romantic relationships and marriages.
First, we describe and discuss the role that commitment plays in stabilizing romantic attachment. Second, we use empirical research on cohabitation to highlight how the formation of commitment can be undermined by what are now common trajectories of couple development. The first topic underscores an increasingly important role for commitment in an age of companionate marriage.
The second topic draws attention to dynamics that can affect the strength of romantic commitments, especially in marriage. We will review central concepts in the literature on commitment as a foundation for discussing two topics.
The first topic discussed is the role commitment plays in stabilizing romantic attachment. The second is how long-term commitment, such as in marriage, could be undermined by what are now becoming common trajectories of couple development. The first topic underscores the importance of commitment in romantic relationships, and the second emphasizes dynamics in the formation of commitment. In both cases, we draw broadly from diverse literatures that are seldom integrated, with our goal being to advance theory about romantic relationship development and stability.
Modern theories of commitment are rooted in interdependence theory e. Interdependence theory posits that the tendency for relationships to develop and persist depends not only on the personal characteristics of the two individuals but on the interdependence that develops between the two partners. Rusbult developed an extension of interdependence theory referred to as the investment model, linking interdependence to the development of commitment. The investment model suggests that dependence on a relationship develops not only based on the level of satisfaction and the quality of alternatives, but also on the investment that an individual has put into the relationship.
