Commitment in Interracial Relationships: Dyadic and Longitudinal Tests of the Investment Model

Empirical research to explain why partners in interracial relationships appear to be less committed than partners in intraracial relationships is scarce. The Investment Model has been shown to be a robust predictor of relationship commitment, but has only been applied to interracial relationships on a few occasions. Using a sample of 232 couples (n = 172 intraracial; n = 60 interracial), we found the Investment Model performs comparatively well in interracial and intraracial relationships. However, there were some differences in the influence of investments on commitment. Investments were associated with concurrent commitment in intraracial but not interracial relationships, and an interdependent version of the Investment Model (Actor-Partner Interdependence Investment Model) fit intraracial relationships better than interracial relationships. The results suggest there are nuances in applying the Investment Model to interracial relationships, but that the model is promising for understanding the commitment of partners who experience marginalization.