Rusbults (1980, 1983) Investment Model

has been able to predict whether or not

couples remain together in studies ranging
from 7 to 18 months (Impett, Beals, &
Peplau, 2001; Rusbult, 1983), and even
15 years (Bui, Peplau, & Hill, 1996).
Investment Model is based on four factors:
satisfaction, investment size, quality of
alternatives, and commitment
Satisfaction refers to how many positives
outweigh the negatives in a relationship.
Investment size is about the resources
attached to a relationshipresources that
would decline in value if the relationship
were to end. This includes tangible and
intangible qualities: one might think he/she
would lose their partners affection, family,
resources, etc.
Quality of Alternatives is about how
other relationships would compare;
whether other relationships or
remaining alone would be more
beneficial.
When these combine positively, then
the spouses become commited to
each other and the relationship.

Rusbult proposed that the level of

investment by individuals also contributed
to the stability and maintenance of the
relationship.
Rusbult tested this theory by asking
college students (IDA lacks
generalisation to wider population) in
heterosexual relationships (IDA bias
towards heterosexual relationships only
cannot explain gay/lesbian relationships
and thus lacks wider generalisation!) to
complete questionnaires over a 7 month
period.
They kept a record of how happy they
were within their relationships, the
possible alternatives as well as their level
of investment and commitment.
Results found that satisfaction,
comparison against alternatives and
investment all contributed to commitment
and breakup.
High levels of commitment and investment
contributed heavily to committed
relationships while the possibility of
alternative relationships appeared to
influence individuals to end relationships.

The investment model by Rusbult may be

a better measure of the maintenance of
relationships in the long-term as studies in
this respect have shown that
commitment and what a person has
invested into the relationship
This could actually also explain why
partners may remain in abusive
relationships; due to the fear of losing
what they have invested and committed to.
Sprecher believed that close relationships
are too complex to allow for precise
assessment of various rewards and costs
involved in establishing equity. Quantifying
every perceived reward and cost is
subjective to individuals and different from
one person to another and far too difficult.
Mills and Clark believed that it was not
possible to assess equity in loving
relationships as much input is emotional
and therefore also unquantifiable and to
do so would diminish the quality of love.
The theories could be argued to be
reductionist as they are attempting to
simplify the complexities of human
interactions into a simple profit-loss
understanding and humans are more
complicated than that.