Three Cords Twisted Together. The Investment Model, Religiousness and Forgiveness

Abstract

The main purpose of the present research is to explore the influence of religiousness on couple commitment, drawing from previous studies where religiousness was confirmed as a strong predictor for positive relationship outcomes. We also aim to analyze relationship satisfaction as a mediating variable between religiousness and commitment. Furthermore, the study seeks to investigate forgiveness in dyadic romantic relationships, testing its role as a moderator of the association between relationship satisfaction and commitment. The procedure includes the recruitment of heterosexual students enrolled in post-graduate courses and their partners to take part in the present study. The final sample consists of 116 individuals involved in romantic relationships. All participants filled in a series of validated self-reported measures, providing data which was analyzed using parametric statistical tests. Additionally, we conducted mediation and moderation analyses. Results indicate that relationship satisfaction is positively associated with commitment, whereas religiousness is positively associated with relationship satisfaction, thus having an indirect effect on commitment. Additionally, considering overall forgiveness as well as the negative vs. positive components of the construct, we find that positive forgiveness is associated with commitment, when satisfaction is also considered in the equation. The current results have important therapeutic implications, such as using forgiveness-related therapies for couples and enhancing relationship satisfaction as means to consolidate relationship commitment.