Romantic relationships often involve commitment: a strong psychological attachment to a partner and an intention to continue the relationship long into the future (Arriaga & Agnew, 2001). When you forge a commitment with a partner, positive outcomes often result. Commitment leads couples to work harder on maintaining their relationships, resulting in greater satisfaction (Rusbult, Arriaga, & Agnew, 2001). Commitment also reduces the likelihood that partners will cheat sexually when separated by geographic distance (Le, Korn, Crockett, & Loving, 2010).

Although men are stereotyped in the media as “commitment-phobic,” this stereotype is false. Both men and women view commitment as an important part of romantic relationships (Miller, Perlman, & Brehm, 2007). Studies even suggest that men often place a higher value on commitment than do women. For example, when asked which they would choose, if forced to decide between a committed romance or an important job opportunity, more men than women chose the relationship (Mosher & Danoff-Burg, 2007). Men have also reported more of a desire for marriage than have women, and described “desire for a committed relationship” as more of a motivation for dating (Rubin, Peplau, & Hill, 1981).