How does the Rusbult's Repair and Maintenance Strategies model explain romantic relationships?

Rusbult's Repair and Maintenance Strategies model explains how couples maintain their romantic relationships.

Rusbult's Repair and Maintenance Strategies model proposes that couples use four strategies to maintain their romantic relationships: accommodation, willingness to sacrifice, forgiveness, and positive illusions. Accommodation involves accepting one's partner's flaws and making adjustments to avoid conflict. Willingness to sacrifice involves putting the relationship's needs above one's own. Forgiveness involves letting go of negative emotions and moving forward. Positive illusions involve viewing one's partner in a positive light and ignoring negative aspects of their personality.

According to the model, these strategies help couples repair and maintain their relationships by reducing negative emotions, promoting positive emotions, and increasing commitment. For example, accommodation and forgiveness can reduce conflict and increase trust, while positive illusions can increase attraction and satisfaction.

However, the model also acknowledges that these strategies may not always be effective and that some relationships may be beyond repair. Additionally, the model does not account for external factors such as cultural and societal influences on relationships.

Overall, Rusbult's Repair and Maintenance Strategies model provides insight into how couples maintain their romantic relationships and highlights the importance of communication, empathy, and compromise in relationships.