PREDICTING RELATIONSHIP COMMITMENT AND RELATIONSHIP STABILITY FROM BOTH PARTNERS RELATIONSHIP VALUES - EVIDENCE FROM HETEROSEXUAL DATING COUPLES

This study examined how the intrinsic and extrinsic relationship value s of both partners from 130 dating heterosexual couples were related t o each partner's relationship commitment and to 6-month relationship s tability Male partners' own relationship commitment was related to int eractions between their own and their female partners' relationship va lues such that their own relationship commitment was positively relate d to their own intrinsic values when their female partners' intrinsic values were low and negatively related to their own extrinsic values w hen their female partners' extrinsic values were low. Female partners' own high relationship commitment was independently predicted by their own high intrinsic values, their own low extrinsic values, and their male partners' high intrinsic values. Relationship stability was predi cted by female partners' low extrinsic values and an interaction betwe en both partners' intrinsic values such that one partner's high intrin sic values were linked to relationship stability especially when the o ther partner also had high intrinsic values.