Work

Making the future a reality: Commitment assurances and time investment in daily life

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Relatively little is known about how commitment manifests in couples’ everyday lives in a way that orients couples toward their future together. Building on the Investment Model of Commitment, we propose that, in everyday life, individuals with high levels of commitment are more likely to (a) assure their partners about the future of the relationship and (b) behaviorally invest in that future by spending more time in the partner’s presence. Results from a sample of individuals ( N = 100) suggest that relationship commitment is associated with greater time investment in the relationship (i.e., time spent with the partner in daily life); results from a second sample of couple members ( N = 269) replicate this effect and suggest that relationship commitment is associated with the use of daily assurances, which mediate the relationship between commitment and time spent co-present with the partner.

Source: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

DOI: 10.1177/02654075231212199

Authors: Kylie R. Chandler, Brian P. Don, Tatum A. Jolink, Brett P. Murphy, Sara B. Algoe

Institutions: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Auckland, University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Attachment and Relationship Dynamics

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,250

Funder: John Templeton Foundation