Explaining personal and constraint commitment in close relationships: The role of satisfaction, conflict responses, and relational bond

Abstract

Relational satisfaction, conflict responses, and perceived relational bond were examined as predictors of both personal and constraint commitment in close relationships. Participants were drawn from married, engaged, and dating relationships. A total of 96 couples (36 dating, 28 engaged, and 32 married) completed an interview and a series of self-report measures. The hypothesized association between satisfaction and personal commitment was supported; results indicated that relational satisfaction was the strongest predictor of both personal and constraint commitment in both men and women. The hypothesized association between perceived relational bond and personal and constraint commitment received partial support; it was only predictive of personal commitment in women. Finally, there was strong evidence that personal commitment mediates the otherwise unanticipated positive relationship between satisfaction and constraint commitment.