Examining commitment and relational maintenance in formal youth mentoring relationships
Abstract
This study utilizes a social exchange perspective to examine mentors’ reported commitment and relational maintenance in formal youth mentoring relationships. One hundred and forty-five adult mentors from four mentoring programs completed surveys about aspects of their current youth mentoring relationship. Study measures assessed Investment Model variables (satisfaction, alternatives, investments, and commitment), stay/leave behavior, and reported use of relational maintenance strategies. Analyses supported hypotheses derived from the Investment Model, and commitment, in turn, predicted stay/leave behavior for mentors. In addition, a mediation model demonstrated that commitment mediates the relationships between some Investment Model variables and three of five relational maintenance strategies. The unique nature of formal youth mentoring relationships as prescribed is discussed, as are practical applications for mentoring programs.
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Gettings and Wilson found that mentors' commitment predicted relational maintenance strategies, such as positive communication and conflict management in mentoring.
“Examining mentors from different mentoring programs with diverse duration, Gettings and Wilson [143] found that mentors’ commitment predicted relational maintenance strategies, such as positive communication and conflict management in mentoring.”
From Unpacking Community-Based Youth Mentoring Relationships: An Integrative Review (2021) · cites this paper as [143]
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Unpacking Community-Based Youth Mentoring Relationships: An Integrative Review
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- Authors
- Gettings, P. E., & Wilson, S. R.
- Affiliations
- Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gettings, Patricia E.
- Venue
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-02-12
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1089-1115
- ISSN
- 0265-4075 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-3608
- OpenAlex
- W2166917793
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 2.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mentoring and Academic Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Keywords
- youth mentoring, relationship maintenance, investment model, social exchange theory, mentor satisfaction, alternatives, investment, mediation, mentoring programs
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