RESEARCH_FILE
Christopher R. Agnew
Purdue University
Known for:Interdependence and Investment Model research applied to marginalized and age-gap romantic relationships
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“The clock is ticking on this relationship”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“The timer is cultural infrastructure, not a fact about how my partner thinks.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Identify one behavior you do when the timer activates (checking their location, mentioning their friend casually to test their reaction, pulling back). Do it once deliberately while naming to yourself: 'I'm doing this because I'm afraid, not because they're leaving.' Notice the…
Key findings
- 2006
Applying the Investment Model framework, showed that partners in socially marginalized relationships report lower investment levels than those in accepted relationships, a pattern consistent with protecting oneself against anticipated loss. Marginalized Relationships: The Impact of Social Disapproval on Romantic Relationship Commitment ↗
- 2008
Co-developed the direct empirical test showing sociocultural marginalization, more than evolutionary mate-value differences, accounts for how committed partners in age-gap couples report feeling. Commitment in Age-Gap Heterosexual Romantic Relationships: A Test of Evolutionary and Socio-Cultural Predictions ↗