Editing Intimate relationship (section)

==== Evaluating the relationship ====
Individuals in intimate relationships evaluate the relative personal benefits and costs of being in the relationship, and this contributes to the decision to stay or leave. The [[investment model of commitment]] is a theoretical framework that suggests that an evaluation of relationship satisfaction, relationship investment, and the quality of alternatives to the relationship impact whether an individual remains in a relationship.<ref name="Rusbult-2001" />

Because relationships are rewarding and evolutionarily necessary, and rejection is a stressful process, people are generally biased toward making decisions that uphold and further facilitate intimate relationships.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Joel |first1=Samantha |last2=MacDonald |first2=Geoff |date=2021 |title=We're Not That Choosy: Emerging Evidence of a Progression Bias in Romantic Relationships |journal=Personality and Social Psychology Review |language=en |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=317–343 |doi=10.1177/10888683211025860 |issn=1088-8683 |pmc=8597186 |pmid=34247524}}</ref> These biases can lead to distortions in the evaluation of a relationship. For instance, people in committed relationships tend to dismiss and derogate attractive alternative partners, thereby validating the decision to remain with their more attractive partner.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ritter |first1=Simone M. |last2=Karremans |first2=Johan C. |last3=van Schie |first3=Hein T. |date=2010-07-01 |title=The role of self-regulation in derogating attractive alternatives |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103110000375 |journal=Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=631–637 |doi=10.1016/j.jesp.2010.02.010 |issn=0022-1031|hdl=2066/90614 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>