Beyond the Transaction: Commitment, Intimacy, and Investment in Online Camming Relationships

OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) · 2026-02-08

According to the investment model of commitment processes, relationships are more likely to persist when people are highly satisfied with their partner, invested in the relationship, and perceive poor alternatives to it. Although this model has proven robust across relationship contexts, research has yet to examine commitment processes in online camming relationships—relationships between cam models and members of adult camming websites. An increasing number of people are engaging in online camming relationships, with some reporting that their interactions are not strictly sexual and involve some degree of intimacy. Yet, little is known about the factors that facilitate commitment between cam models and members. In a cross-sectional study of cam models (N = 199) and members (N = 544) from LiveJasmin, surveyed separately (i.e., not as matched dyads), we tested whether satisfaction, investment, and alternatives are associated with current commitment and future planned investment among cam models and members. Based on past research suggesting that alternatives are not as predictive of commitment in multi-partnered relationships and that camming interactions can feature intimacy, we test an alternative model that replaces the quality of alternatives with intimacy. Results suggest that, in most cases, when cam models or members on camming sites reported greater satisfaction, investment, and intimacy, they in turn, reported greater current commitment and intentions to invest in their relationship in the future, whereas the quality of alternatives was not a significant predictor. These findings highlight the importance of intimacy in driving commitment within camming relationships, suggesting that emotional connections play a vital role in sustaining these interactions beyond financial exchanges and relationship satisfaction.

Commitment Processes in Close Relationships

Cambridge University Press eBooks · 2026-02-09

Perceptions of Desperation in Others and Self

Open MIND · 2026-01-01

The current project aims to explore how individuals desperate for romantic relationships are perceived through open-ended questions. It also aims to explore how individuals themselves experience romantic desperation (i.e., thoughts, feelings, behaviors, attitudes), also via open-ended quesitons. This project is exploratory; we have no specific hypotheses. We are interested in how people conceptualize "desperation" and how that might relate to other constructs (e.g., relationship pedestal beliefs, fear of being single, ostracism experiences).

Beyond the Transaction: Commitment, Intimacy, and Investment in Online Camming Relationships

2026-02-08

According to the investment model of commitment processes, relationships are more likely to persist when people are highly satisfied with their partner, invested in the relationship, and perceive poor alternatives to it. Although this model has proven robust across relationship contexts, research has yet to examine commitment processes in online camming relationships—relationships between cam models and members of adult camming websites. An increasing number of people are engaging in online camming relationships, with some reporting that their interactions are not strictly sexual and involve some degree of intimacy. Yet, little is known about the factors that facilitate commitment between cam models and members. In a cross-sectional study of cam models (N = 199) and members (N = 544) from LiveJasmin, surveyed separately (i.e., not as matched dyads), we tested whether satisfaction, investment, and alternatives are associated with current commitment and future planned investment among cam models and members. Based on past research suggesting that alternatives are not as predictive of commitment in multi-partnered relationships and that camming interactions can feature intimacy, we test an alternative model that replaces the quality of alternatives with intimacy. Results suggest that, in most cases, when cam models or members on camming sites reported greater satisfaction, investment, and intimacy, they in turn, reported greater current commitment and intentions to invest in their relationship in the future, whereas the quality of alternatives was not a significant predictor. These findings highlight the importance of intimacy in driving commitment within camming relationships, suggesting that emotional connections play a vital role in sustaining these interactions beyond financial exchanges and relationship satisfaction.

Transitions Out of and Into Singlehood

2026-05-21

Abstract How and why do people transition into and out of singlehood? As the proportion of adults who classify themselves as single has increased worldwide in recent years, scholars have devoted increased attention to not only the single experience but also factors that contribute to both remaining single and transitioning into a partnership. In this chapter, we examine reasons individuals exit or enter singlehood, highlighting personal and societal influences that shape these transitions. We also provide an overview of how these shifts impact personal identity, mental well-being, and social relationships. To start, we review the transition out of singlehood to relationship involvement, discussing factors leading to this change. We examine the challenges of integrating new partners into one’s personal identity and existing social networks, with a focus on balancing personal versus relational needs. Next, we review the transition into singlehood from relationship involvement, including breakups, personal choices, partner choices, as well as life circumstances, and examine how individuals navigate this period of both self-discovery and challenge. Finally, we review the unknowns in this space and speculate on areas of future research that could help illuminate them.

Beyond the Transaction: Commitment, Intimacy, and Investment in Online Camming Relationships

2025-03-21

According to the investment model of commitment processes, relationships are more likely to persist when people are highly satisfied with their partner, invested in their relationship, and perceive poor alternatives to their relationship. Although this model has proven robust across relationship contexts, research has yet to examine commitment processes in online camming relationships—relationships between models and members of adult camming websites. An increasing number of people are engaging in online camming relationships, with some reporting that their interactions are not strictly sexual and involve some degree of intimacy. Yet, little is known about factors that facilitate commitment between models and members. In a cross-sectional study of models (N = 199) and members (N = 544) from LiveJasmin, a popular online camming site, we test whether satisfaction, investment, and alternatives are associated with current commitment and future planned investment among models and members. Based on past research suggesting that alternatives are not as predictive of commitment in multi-partnered relationships and that camming interactions can feature intimacy, we test an alternative model that replaces the quality of alternatives with intimacy. Results suggest that, in most cases, when models or members on camming sites reported greater satisfaction, investment, and intimacy, they, in turn, reported greater current commitment and intentions to invest in their relationship in the future, though quality of alternatives was not a significant predictor. These findings highlight the importance of intimacy in driving commitment within camming relationships, suggesting that emotional connections play a crucial role in sustaining these interactions beyond financial exchanges and relationship satisfaction.

Relationship Maintenance Knowledge and Self‐Efficacy Among Single Young Adults Desiring a Committed Romantic Relationship

Personal Relationships · 2025-10-15 · 1 citations

ABSTRACT Some people are single despite desiring a committed romantic relationship. Past research has revealed relationship maintenance strategies—thoughts and behaviors that couple members enact to fuel overall relationship satisfaction and commitment—associated with relationship stability. From two independent samples totaling 2059 single young adults desiring a committed relationship, we assessed whether individuals know that given maintenance strategies are beneficial to long‐term relationship stability (maintenance response‐efficacy) and whether they feel they can implement these strategies in their relationships (maintenance self‐efficacy). We used the newly developed PRIME (Perceptions of Relationship Maintenance Efficacy) to measure these concepts and test several preregistered hypothesized associations. Results revealed that participants, on average, were knowledgeable about the importance of and felt efficacious regarding enacting most strategies. Both maintenance response‐efficacy and self‐efficacy were associated with the duration of recent past romances when scores were combined, but only self‐efficacy was significant when examined independently. These findings highlight the importance of assessing relationship maintenance efficacy among singles seeking a committed romantic relationship. PRIME is also the first relationship maintenance self‐report measure that does not require individuals to be in a relationship for assessment.

Beyond the Transaction: Commitment, Intimacy, and Investment in Online Camming Relationships

2025-09-05

According to the investment model of commitment processes, relationships are more likely to persist when people are highly satisfied with their partner, invested in the relationship, and perceive poor alternatives to it. Although this model has proven robust across relationship contexts, research has yet to examine commitment processes in online camming relationships—relationships between cam models and members of adult camming websites. An increasing number of people are engaging in online camming relationships, with some reporting that their interactions are not strictly sexual and involve some degree of intimacy. Yet, little is known about the factors that facilitate commitment between cam models and members. In a cross-sectional study of cam models (N = 199) and members (N = 544) from LiveJasmin, surveyed separately (i.e., not as matched dyads), we tested whether satisfaction, investment, and alternatives are associated with current commitment and future planned investment among cam models and members. Based on past research suggesting that alternatives are not as predictive of commitment in multi-partnered relationships and that camming interactions can feature intimacy, we test an alternative model that replaces the quality of alternatives with intimacy. Results suggest that, in most cases, when cam models or members on camming sites reported greater satisfaction, investment, and intimacy, they in turn, reported greater current commitment and intentions to invest in their relationship in the future, whereas the quality of alternatives was not a significant predictor. These findings highlight the importance of intimacy in driving commitment within camming relationships, suggesting that emotional connections play a vital role in sustaining these interactions beyond financial exchanges and relationship satisfaction.

Relationship commitment regulation: Influencing a partner's commitment to achieve one's commitment goals

Social and Personality Psychology Compass · 2024-07-01 · 4 citations

Abstract We introduce a model of relationship commitment regulation, which describes how romantic partners might use empirically‐validated antecedents of commitment level strategically to influence a partner's commitment toward their relationship based on certain commitment goals they have for the relationship. People are generally aware of and relatively accurate with respect to knowing their partner's level of commitment and also have preferences regarding their desired level. We summarize key antecedents of commitment level (i.e., satisfaction level, alternative quality, investment size, future plans, and subjective norms) and then describe how each can be manipulated via relationship maintenance activities to move a partner's commitment level up or down, or maintained at a desired current level. Collectively, the model provides a strategic roadmap for actions one can take to foster desired commitment in one's partner and provides insight into the dyadic processes and outcomes of relationship maintenance.

When one's partner wants out: Awareness, attachment anxiety and accuracy

European Journal of Social Psychology · 2023-07-05 · 6 citations

Abstract Can a person tell whether their romantic partner wants to break up and, if so, how is such accuracy associated with their own attachment anxiety? We examined these questions by proposing and assessing the construct of perceived partner dissolution consideration (PPDC), including its validity. We then assessed the extent to which partners were accurate in their perceptions of each other's dissolution consideration, focusing on the perceiver's attachment anxiety as a potential moderator. Specifically, in two studies involving couples, dyadic analyses of couple data showed that couple members significantly underestimated (negative mean‐level bias) partner dissolution consideration and also projected their own dissolution consideration onto their partners. Couple members higher in anxiety were particularly accurate (tracking accuracy) in their assessments of dissolution consideration. Implications for partner perceptions and judgements of dissolution consideration on relationship functioning are considered.