Commitment in Romantic Relationships: The Role of Relationship Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (ROCD) Symptoms and Evaluating Romantic Alternatives

Commitment is considered one of the most important predictors of the continuity of romantic relationships and is vital for the growth and stability of such relationships. The present study was conducted to investigate the role of Relationship Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (ROCD) symptoms and evaluating romantic alternatives in marital commitment.

The research method was a descriptive-correlative one. The statistical population included all married individuals in Tehran in 2023-2024, of whom 267 participants were selected as a sample using the convenience sampling method. The ROCI (2012) along with the Rusbult's Investment Model Scale (IMC, 1998) were used to collect the data. The data were analyzed using the simultaneous regression method by SPSS version 22 and Amos version 24.

According to the results, there was a negative and significant relationship between ROCD symptoms (-0.37) and evaluating romantic alternatives (-0.40) with marital commitment (P<0.01). In total, these two variables were able to explain 40% of the variances of marital commitment.

Overall, the present study indicated that symptoms of ROCD and the evaluation of romantic alternatives significantly impact marital commitment among married individuals. These findings underscore the importance of considering both psychological factors, such as ROCD symptoms, and relational factors, such as the evaluation of alternatives, in understanding and predicting marital commitment.