relation: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/931/
title: Pathways to commitment in living-apart-together relationships: A study on satisfaction, alternatives, investments and social support
creator: van der Wiel, R.
description: By means of 22 semi-structured, in-depth interviews, I have explored how the partner commitment experiences of living-apart-together (LAT) couples in the Netherlands are shaped by their satisfaction with, alternatives to, investments in and social support for their relationship, and interlinked with their choice for LAT. The interviews showed that LAT was mostly motivated by the “self”. Although emotional attachment to a partner appeared to be high, people in LAT relationships seemed to have a relatively limited belief and interest in life-long partnerships. Satisfaction and intrinsic investments were described as contributing the most to feelings of commitment. Relationship history plays an important role in how middle-aged and older people, who have often gone through a divorce, experience several aspects of their LAT relationship. In this context, LAT expresses fear of commitment and getting hurt, which is further reflected in limited investments.
date: 2016
type: Thesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: text
language: en
identifier: https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/931/1/Master_thesis_final_version_va_1.pdf
identifier:   van der Wiel, R.  (2016) Pathways to commitment in living-apart-together relationships: A study on satisfaction, alternatives, investments and social support.  Master thesis.