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Abstract
Relational satisfaction and stability following discovered incidents of relational betrayal were investigated. Predictions from Social Exchange Theory, specifically Rusbult's Investment Model, were tested along with the effects of communication strategies. Participants (N = 155) completed a questionnaire about a recalled betrayal. Inconsistent with the investment model, relational satisfaction was the best predictor of relational stability. Generally, the more committed and invested the offender, the more likely the reported use of communication repair strategies. The likelihood of apologies, accepting responsibility, and promising change also increased with the severity of the betrayal. Only promising change was related to post-betrayal relational satisfaction.
This article is a reduced version of Merissa H. Ferrara's master's thesis completed under the direction of Timothy R. Levine. A previous version of this article was presented at the International Communication Association, 2002, Seoul, Korea.
Notes
∗p < .05 (df = 154).
All of the communication strategies, except justification, were highly intercorrelated (i.e., r < .50) with each other. Examination of the inter-item correlation matrix and reliabilities suggested that the strategies were separate, but highly related, constructs rather than a single, broader construct. For example, combining the strategies resulted in a reduction in reliability. Therefore, an analytic approach of loading the strategies in as a block in logistic regression was adopted rather than just examining zero-order correlations, treating each variable as an independent predictor in regression, or summing the strategy ratings to form a single variable.