The Dual-Pathway Model of Respect in Romantic Relationships

Respect has been shown to be an important aspect of romantic relationships. The current research explored whether the associations that status-based respect and inclusion-based respect had with romantic commitment would be mediated by satisfaction, investment, and the perceived quality of alternative romantic partners. Study 1 examined these associations with an undergraduate sample (N = 200), whereas Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 using a community sample (N = 264). Study 3 (N = 187) extended these results by focusing on a specific situation in which participants felt either disrespected or respected by their romantic partners. Across these studies, status-based respect and inclusion-based respect were associated with romantic commitment. For example, status-based respect and inclusion-based respect had associations with commitment that were mediated by satisfaction in each study. The findings of the current studies indicate that people who experience disrespect in their relationships tend to be less satisfied, which, in turn, may lead to them being less committed to maintaining their relationships. In our discussion, we explore how status-based respect and inclusion-based respect can offer insights into understanding commitment to romantic relationships.