What is the Investment Model?

• A. A theory that measures commitment based on satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size.
• B. A theory that measures love through emotional intensity alone.
• C. A model focusing on communication patterns.
• D. A model predicting divorce rates.

Answer: (A)

The Investment Model looks at what keeps couples committed by weighing three things: how satisfied they are in the relationship, how attractive their best outside option seems, and how much they have invested in the relationship. When rewards exceed costs (high satisfaction), alternatives look less appealing (low quality of alternatives), and there’s a large amount invested (time, shared experiences, resources, plans), commitment grows and the couple is more likely to stay together. Even if happiness isn’t perfect, strong investments and weak alternatives can keep people together; if satisfaction is low but investments and poor alternatives are high, commitment can still be strong and dissolution less likely.

This isn’t about measuring love by emotional intensity alone, nor is it primarily about how couples communicate, and it isn’t simply a prediction of divorce rates. Those aspects describe different ideas or processes, whereas the Investment Model centers on how commitment is formed and maintained through satisfaction, alternatives, and investment.