Test Your Relationship Loyalty: Based on Commitment Theory and the Assessment of Alternatives

1. What Is Relationship Loyalty?

Relationship Loyalty refers not only to the absence of physical or emotional betrayal, but also to an individual's psychological tendency and behavioral pattern, in a long-term intimate relationship, of remaining willing to maintain and invest in the current relationship when facing conflict, temptation, or potentially better options. It encompasses multiple dimensions, including emotional commitment, long-term investment, willingness to sacrifice, and the assessment of alternative relationships.

Psychological research shows that high loyalty is not simply a matter of moral restraint, but is closely related to an individual's attachment style, relationship satisfaction, level of investment, and perception of 'alternatives'.

2. Core Theory: Commitment Theory and the Model of Alternatives

This test is designed based on the social psychologistCaryl Rusbultproposed by the 'Investment Model', one of the most authoritative theories for explaining relationship commitment and loyalty. Rusbult held that the strength of an individual's commitment to a relationship depends on three core factors:

• Satisfaction: the positive emotional experiences the relationship brings, such as happiness, intimacy, and a sense of being supported.
• Quality of Alternatives: the attractiveness of other options available after leaving the current relationship (such as a new partner or single life).
• Investment Size: the resources an individual has invested in the relationship that would be lost upon leaving, such as time, emotion, shared memories, and social connections.

When satisfaction is high, the attractiveness of alternatives is low, and the investment size is large, an individual is more likely to developa 'commitment tendency', thereby showing higher loyalty. Conversely, low satisfaction, highly attractive alternatives, and low investment significantly increase the risk of betrayal.

In addition, this test also refers to'Interdependence Theory'and its concept of 'Comparison Level' (Thibaut & Kelley), namely an individual's subjective expectation of 'what should be gained in a relationship'. When reality falls far below expectations, loyalty more easily wavers.

3. The Four Assessment Dimensions of This Test

Based on the above theories, this test deeply assesses your relationship loyalty tendency across the following four dimensions, with 15 questions closely tied to real situations:

• Emotional Commitment Strength: your inner sense of belonging to the current relationship, your sense of attachment, and your willingness to maintain it long-term. For example: Do you include your partner in your self-concept? Do you naturally imagine a future with your partner?
• Assessment of Alternatives Tendency: How do you view 'potentially better people' or 'a freer life'? Are you easily disturbed by others' attractiveness? Do you habitually make 'comparisons'?
• Conflict and Willingness to Sacrifice: When conflict arises in the relationship or personal sacrifice is needed, do you lean toward maintaining the relationship, or toward your own interests? Are you willing to make moderate sacrifices for your partner?
• Moral and Exclusivity Views: how strictly you define behaviors such as 'sense of boundaries', 'emotional infidelity', and 'ambiguity', as well as your inner moral restraint.

4. Purpose of the Test and Who It Is For

This test is not a moral judgment, but helps you:

• Understand your behavioral tendencies and risk points in intimate relationships more objectively
• Identify hidden risks in the relationship that may be overlooked (such as accumulated dissatisfaction or ignoring the attractiveness of alternatives)
• Improve self-awareness and provide reference for improving the relationship or making responsible choices
• Suitable for adults who are in a stable relationship or have experienced struggles with loyalty

⚠️ Note: the test results only reflect your current tendencies and do not constitute an absolute prediction of behavior. Real relationship decisions are also affected by multiple factors such as situation, culture, and personal values.

5. Scoring Method and Result Categories

Each question is scored 1-5 based on how much you agree with the description or how you react to the scenario (1 = completely inconsistent/very low tendency, 5 = completely consistent/very high tendency). Based on your score combination across the four dimensions, the system will classify you into one of the following four loyalty types:

• Steadfast Guardian Type: high commitment, low assessment of alternatives, high willingness to sacrifice. Extremely loyal, deeply emotionally invested, and less affected by outside interference.
• Rational Evaluator Type: moderate commitment, but rationally weighs alternatives. Whether you stay loyal depends more on the quality of the current relationship.
• Detachment-Risk Type: low emotional dependence, low willingness to sacrifice, and easily drawn by outside attraction. Higher risk of betrayal.
• Struggling-Conflicted Type: you value the relationship inside, yet often feel dissatisfied or drawn to better options, caught in inner conflict.

Each type comes with personalized growth advice to help you manage intimate relationships more healthily.