Deconstructing the association between relationship maintenance and commitment: Testing two competing models

In this study, the author compares 2 models: the information-seeking model, in which perceptions of relationship maintenance predict subsequent commitment, and the motivational model, in which commitment predicts subsequent perceptions of relationship maintenance, by means of a daily, cross-lagged, dyadic design. The moderating effects of relationship length and global commitment are also tested. A sample of 98 same-sex couples from the United States completed an Internet daily diary for 14 consecutive days. The results of 2 hierarchical linear models showed that, as predicted, the information-seeking model was characteristic of couples who had been together for a shorter amount of time whereas the motivational model better characterized couples who had been together longer.