Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
2-2019
Abstract
Timing matters in relationships. People vary in their sense of when they think the time is right to be involved in a committed relationship. We propose and examine the construct of commitment readinessand its role in predicting important relationship outcomes including commitment level, maintenance processes, and stability among involved intimates. Data from five independent samples obtained with various methods revealed, as hypothesized, that readiness (a) predicts commitment, maintenance processes, and actions toward ending a relationship; (b) serves to moderate commitment in predicting maintenance processes (self-disclosure, accommodation, sacrifice); and (c) serves to moderate commitment in predicting leave behavior, with those reporting both higher commitment and higher readiness being more likely to enact maintenance behaviors and least likely to enact leave behavior. We discuss the importance of considering one’s readiness for commitment within ongoing involvements.
Keywords
relationship receptivity, relationship timing, commitment readiness, commitment level, investment model
Discipline
Applied Behavior Analysis | Personality and Social Contexts | Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Social Psychological and Personality Science
First Page
1
Last Page
10
ISSN
1948-5506
Identifier
10.1177/1948550619829060
Publisher
SAGE Publications (UK and US)
Citation
AGNEW, Christopher R., HADDEN, Benjamin W., & TAN, Kenneth.(2019). It’s about time: Readiness, commitment and stability in close relationships. Social Psychological and Personality Science, , 1-10.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2853
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550619829060
Included in
Applied Behavior Analysis Commons, Personality and Social Contexts Commons, Social Psychology Commons