An investment model of sociosexuality, relationship satisfaction, and commitment: Evidence from dating, engaged, and newlywed couples

• Men’s sociosexual attitudes negatively related to men’s and women’s satisfaction.
• This link was more negative for dating couples with shorter relationship durations.
• Men’s satisfaction mediated their sociosexual-attitudes–commitment link.

Using an investment model (Rusbult, 1980, 1983) of sociosexual attitudes (SOI-A), we examined SOI-A’s association with relationship outcomes using actor–partner interdependence models (APIMs) of over 400 dating, engaged, and newlywed couples. Men’s SOI-A negatively related to both men’s (actor effect) and women’s (partner effect) relationship satisfaction. This actor effect persisted after controlling for men’s and women’s relationship commitment, and was stronger (more negative) among dating couples (vs. engaged or newlywed couples) and couples with shorter relationship durations. Moderated-mediation APIMs suggested that (a) both actor-effect satisfaction–commitment associations were more positive in couples dating for 6 months and (b) men’s relationship satisfaction mediated the link between men’s SOI-A and men’s relationship commitment, but only in couples dating for 6 months.