Suspicion of infidelity in romantic relationship: Investment model perspective

Infidelity is one of the most studied topics in relationship literature. It has been shown that it affects both the relationship and the spouses in different ways. This study investigated the relationship between suspicion of infidelity and the commitment level of young adults who were in an ongoing dating relationship with the aid of Investment Model variables which are investment, satisfaction, and quality of alternatives. In the current study, the Investment Model variables were expected to mediate the relationship between the suspicion of infidelity and commitment. A total of 312 young adults (71.8% women; 27.6% men; 0.6% other) who were in a dating relationship participated in the study. The Relationship Stability Scale, the Partner Intentions Towards Infidelity Scale, and Demographic Information Form were used for data collection. In the current study, our model where suspicion of infidelity was the predictor, satisfaction, quality of alternatives, and investment were mediators, and commitment was an outcome was tested. According to the results, the quality of alternatives and satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between suspicion of infidelity and commitment. Moreover, exploratory analyses showed that suspicion of infidelity did not change in terms of gender or history of being cheated. These results can be important for the understanding of the relationship between suspicion of infidelity and commitment.