| Abstract: | This study examined whether subjective norms are associated with commitment to a romantic relationship and with remaining in that relationship over time. Subjective norms are defined in the context of relationships as the perceived normative beliefs of a social network member regarding a given relationship weighted by the motivation to comply with that network member. In a longitudinal study of college students involved in dating relationships, subjective norms were found to be a significant predictor of romantic relationship commitment level, alone and in multiple regression analyses including satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Longitudinal analyses indicated that commitment mediated the effect of subjective norms on remaining in the relationship approximately 8 months later. Finally, level of dependence on a romantic relationship moderated the predictive value of subjective norms, with lower relationship dependence yielding greatest predictive value for subjective norms. |
