Commitment is one of the most frequently cited descriptors of relationships. However, commitment can mean different things to different people. A common problem for many couples is in the assumption that one's own personal meaning of commitment is the same as one's partner. This article provides an opportunity for couples to interview each other, to learn more specifically just what is in personal “data banks” regarding commitment in their relationships. Although the authors acknowledge that relationship commitment is not static or never changing, they have devised the Couples Commitment Interview to help couples learn more about their conceptions of commitment. The authors also discuss representative research relative to commitment.
Ainsworth, M. (1985). Attachments across the life span. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 61, 792-812.
2.
Becker, H.S. (1960). Notes on the concept of commitment. American Journal of Sociology, 66, 32-40.
3.
Bernard, J. (1982). The future of marriage. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
4.
Berne, E. (1964). Games people play: The psychology of human relationships . New York: Grove.
5.
Bregman, L. (2006). Spirituality: A glowing and useful term in search of a meaning. Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 53(1-2), 5-26.
6.
Chethik, N. (2006). Voice male: What husbands really think about their marriages, their wives, sex, housework, and commitment. New York: Simon & Schuster.
7.
Crabb, L. (1991). Men and women: Enjoying the difference. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
8.
Dean, D.G., & Spainer, G.B. (1974). Commitment: An overlooked variable in marital adjustment?Sociological Focus, 7, 113-118.
9.
Doherty, W.J. (2001). Take back your marriage: Sticking together in a world that pulls us apart. New York. Guilford.
10.
Eckstein, D. (1993). Games married couples play: Two theoretical perspectives . The Family Journal, 1, 173-176.
11.
Gergen, K.J. (1985). The social constructionist movement in modern psychology. American Psychologist, 40(3), 266-275.
12.
Gergen, K.J. (1991). The saturated self: Dilemmas of identity in contemporary life. New York: Basic Books.
13.
Gergen, K.J. (1999). An invitation to social construction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
14.
Gergen, K.J. (2001, October). Psychological science in a postmodern context. American Psychologist, 56(10), 803-813.
15.
Gilligan, C. (1982). In a different voice: Psychological theory and women's development. Boston: Harvard University Press.
16.
Hoffman, L. (1990). Constructing realities: An art of lenses. Family Process, 29(1), 1-10.
17.
Hunler, O.S., & Gencoz, T. (2005). The effect of religiousness on marital satisfaction: Testing the mediator role of marital problem solving between religiousness and marital satisfaction relationship. Contemporary Family Therapy, 27(1), 123-136.
18.
Johnson, D.J., & Rusbult, C.E. (1989). Resisting temptation: Devaluation of alternative partners as a means of maintaining commitment in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 967-980.
19.
Johnson, M.P., Caughlin, J.P., & Huston, T.L. (1999). The tripartite nature of marital commitment: Personal, moral, and structural reasons to stay married. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 61, 160-177.
20.
Lambert, N.M., & Dollahite, D.C. (2006). How religiosity helps couples prevent, resolve, and overcome marital conflict. Family Relations , 55, 439-449.
21.
LeFrancois, G.R. (1999). The lifespan (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
22.
Leik, R.K., & Leik, S.A. (1977). Transition to interpersonal commitment. In R. L. Hamblin & J. H. Kunkel (Eds.), Behavioral theory in sociology: Essays in honor of George C. Homans (pp. 299-322). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.
23.
Lydon, J.E., & Zanna, M.P. (1990). Commitment in the face of adversity: A value-affirmation approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(6), 1040-1047.
24.
Manning, A. (2005). Constructing resilient marriages: A panel study of marriages under pressure. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.
25.
Miller, J.B. (1988). Connections, disconnections, and violations (Work in Progress No. 33). Wellesley, MA: Stone Center.
26.
Rhimes, S. (Writer), McKee, S. (Writer), & Yu, J. (Director). (2006, November 2). Let the angels commit [Television series episode]. In S. Rhimes(Executive Producer), Grey's anatomy. New York: ABC, Inc.
27.
Stanley, S. (2002, July). What is it with men and commitment, anyway ? Keynote address to the 6th annual Smart Marriages conference, Washington, DC.
28.
Stanley, S.M. (1998). The heart of commitment: Compelling research that reveals the secrets of a lifelong, intimate marriage. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
29.
Stanley, S.M., & Markman, H.J. (1992). Assessing commitment in personal relationships . Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 595-608.
30.
Stanley, S.M., Markman, H.J., & Whitton, S.W. (2002). Communication, conflict, and commitment: Insights on the foundations of relationship success from a national survey. Family Process, 41(4), 659-675.
31.
Stanley, S.M., Whitton, S.W., Sadberry, S.L., Clements, M.L., & Markman, H.J. (2006). Sacrifice as a predictor of marital outcomes. Family Process, 45(3), 289-303.
32.
Surra, C.A., & Gray, C.R. (2000). A typology of processes of commitment to marriage: Why do partners commit to problematic relationships? In L. J. Waite, C. Bachrach , M. Hindin, B. Thomson, & A. Thornton (Eds.), Ties that bind: Perspectives on marriage and cohabitation (pp. 253-280). New York: Aldinede Gruyter .
