Kelley and Thibaut (1978) theorized that those in developing and continuing relationships begin to take into account long-term goals for the relationship as an entity additional to the needs and desires of the two individuals. The interdependence framework also addresses how two individuals come to develop an identity as a couple. Numerous studies support the investment model, demonstrating that relationship commitment grows as satisfaction and investments increase while perceived quality of alternatives decreases (e.g., Rusbult & Buunk, 1993).
Most relevant to the present discussion, the investment model proposes that increasing interdependence leads to relationship commitment, defined by Rusbult (1980) as a desire to persist in the relationship and maintain emotional attachment. Investments refer to resources that are attached to the relationship that would be lost or lose value if the relationship were to end investments may take any number of forms including emotional investments such as self-disclosure ( Stanley & Markman, 1992) and structural investments such as money and possessions ( Johnson, 1973). 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. This perspective has generated a large literature (see Le & Agnew, 2003).
Rusbult (1980) developed an extension of interdependence theory referred to as the investment model, linking interdependence to the development of commitment. The level of interdependence in a relationship is determined by partners’ level of satisfaction with the relationship and their perceptions of the quality of alternatives to the relationship ( Thibaut & Kelley, 1959). 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. Modern theories of commitment are rooted in interdependence theory (e.g., Kelley & Thibaut, 1978 Thibaut & Kelley, 1959) and social exchange theories (e.g., Cook & Emerson, 1978 Homans, 1958). The Psychological Construct of Commitment
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