What is a caveat of the Investment Model?

• A. It was developed and validated primarily on people in monogamous romantic relationships.
• B. It only applies to non-monogamous relationships.
• C. It excludes satisfaction as a predictor.
• D. It focuses on friendship rather than romantic relationships.

Answer: (A)

Generalizability is the key idea here. The Investment Model was developed and validated mainly with people in monogamous, typically heterosexual, romantic relationships. Because the research context shapes how people experience satisfaction, perceive alternatives, and value investments, applying the model to non-monogamous or polyamorous relationships (or to different cultural groups) should be done with caution. The main predictors—satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and investments—still matter, but their relative importance and how they play out can differ outside the original samples. So this caveat highlights limits to how broadly the model’s conclusions can be applied.