Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
Stability and change in the first 10 years of marriage: does commitment confer benefits beyond the effects of
Dominik Schoebi1, Benjamin R Karney, Thomas N Bradbury
1Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Rue de Faucigny 2, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland. dominik.schoebi@unifr.ch
Abstract:
Although commitment is theoretically distinct from relationship satisfaction, empirical associations between the concepts are high. After drawing from classic definitions of commitment to distinguish between commitment as the desire for a relationship to persist versus the behavioral inclination to maintain the relationship, we predicted that the former component would function much like satisfaction, whereas the latter component would operate independently of satisfaction to stabilize couple relationships. Using satisfaction and commitment data collected over the first 4 years of marriage (N = 172 couples), we demonstrate that only behavioral inclinations to maintain the marriage are related to observed marital interaction behaviors, to reported steps taken toward dissolution, and to 11-year divorce rates, independent of satisfaction. Consistent with dyadic "weak-link"' conceptions of commitment, likelihood of divorce was found to increase as a function of the lower of the 2 partners' inclination to maintain the relationship. Commitment may stabilize declining intimate partnerships, particularly when it is conceptualized as the inclination to maintain the relationship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
Related Concept Videos
Companionate Love
Social Exchange Theory
Social Exchange Theory
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood
Close Relationships and Culture
Relationship Formation

