Social influence on romantic relationship commitment
Abstract
Two studies examined a model of social influence on romantic relationship commitment. The model, which expands on Rusbult's (1980) Investment Model, posits that injunctive norms transmitted from friends to individuals regarding what they “should do” in their relationships are associated with commitment and its bases (i.e., satisfaction, alternatives, investments). Additionally, commitment and its bases are held to be associated with individuals' perceptions of their friends' relationships, in the form of descriptive norms. Finally, social comparisons with friends regarding their relationships are predicted to be associated with individuals' commitment and its bases. Study 1, a longitudinal survey of 205 college-aged individuals in close relationships, employed structural equation modeling to test the model, with results providing support for the predicted associations between social influence constructs and relationship processes. Study 2 was a cross-sectional study of 263 college-aged individuals in close relationships who reported on the social influence they perceived in their relationships. Friends of participants were contacted and provided reports regarding their perceptions of the participants' relationships and information regarding their own romantic relationships. The roles of friendship dependence, sex composition of the friendship dyad, and friendship proximity were examined as moderators of the proposed model of social influence. Dependence on friendships with male friends attenuated the associations between model constructs, whereas female friendship dependence, friendship proximity, and sex composition of the friendship dyad did not. Exploratory analyses regarding correspondence between relationship members and friends' perceptions and predictive power were investigated, with results indicating that relationship members and friends' perceptions tended to correspond, and friends' reports of influence did not predict relationship processes beyond the perceptions of the relationship members. Using path analyses to test hypotheses, these two studies provide support for an expanded view of the Investment Model by identifying paths by which social influence may impact individuals' experiences of satisfaction, alternatives, investments, and, in turn, commitment to their relationships.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Agnew, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Social psychology
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