Skip to content
  • X
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Presented Research
  • Published Research
Decide To Commit

Researching and Exploring the Power of Commitment in Couple Relationships

  • Home
  • About Dr. Sibley
    • Current Projects
    • Dr. Sibley’s Posts
    • Education & Training
    • Presented Research
    • Published Research
    • Teaching Philosophy
    • Contact Dr. Sibley
  • About The Team
    • Conference Photo Gallery
    • Presentations
    • Meet The Research Team
    • What Our Team Is Reading
  • Blog
  • Book Reviews
  • Search here

People To Follow On X

Clinicians, Educators, and Researchers

  • Harry Benson
  • Cameron Brown
  • Susan Brown
  • Brando Burr
  • Jessica Calcarlo
  • Lorne Campbell
  • Jason Carroll
  • Anita Chlipala
  • Bill Coffin
  • Rolf Degan
  • Bill Doherty
  • Claire Kamp Dush
  • Alysse ElHage
  • Paula England
  • Jason Fields
  • Eli Finkel
  • Karen Benjamin Guzzo
  • Steve Harris
  • Lisa Hoplock
  • Robert Huges Jr.
  • Samantha Joel
  • Sue Johnson
  • Sarah Kuborn
  • Leah LeFebvre
  • Eva Lefkowitz
  • Chelom Leavitt
  • Geoff MacDonald
  • Wendy Manning
  • Kristen Mark
  • Jessica Maxwell
  • Kale Monk
  • Amy Muise
  • Terri Orbuch
  • Brian Ogolsky
  • Spencer Olmstead
  • Amy Rauer
  • Kelly Roberts
  • Jessie Rudi
  • Isabel Sawhill
  • Dave Schramm
  • Kara Shade
  • Rosie Shrout
  • Scott Stanley
  • Wendy Wang
  • Jason Whiting
  • Brad Wilcox
  • Kristi Williams
  • Brian Willoughby
  • Nick Wolfinger

Professional Organizations

  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Certified Family Life Educators (NCFR)
  • Council on Contemporary Families
  • Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing Study
  • International Association for Relationship Research
  • National Center for Marriage and Family Research
  • National Council on Family Relations
  • National Healthy Marriage Resource Center
  • Prepare/Enrich
  • Relevate
  • Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood
  • Stronger Marriage

Academic Journals

  • Journal of Family Theory and Review
  • Journal of Marriage and Family
  • Journal of Social and Personal Relationships
  • Family Process

decide_to_commit

Dr. Sibley and his team of students at Northern Illinois University research commitment in couple relationships and romantic relationship formation.


Reassurance feels good — but it isn’t what makes a
Reassurance feels good — but it isn’t what makes a relationship secure. 💛
Real safety comes from something deeper: trust you can see, commitment you can feel, and a partner whose actions match their words.
If you’ve ever spiraled over a late text or worried that silence means something’s wrong, this piece will help you understand why commitment changes everything.
Read the full post at  https://decidetocommit.com/beyond-reassurance-how-commitment-creates-relationship-security/  #decidetocommit #researchteam #blogpost


Love doesn’t always disappear — sometimes it trans
Love doesn’t always disappear — sometimes it transforms. ❤️‍🩹
In Mexican families, divorce isn’t just a legal shift; it’s a cultural, emotional, and generational one. This piece explores how love can change shape while family, identity, and connection continue to evolve.
If you’ve ever wondered how culture influences the way we love, separate, and rebuild, this story will stay with you.
Read the full post at  https://decidetocommit.com/when-love-changes-form-divorce-family-and-mexican-culture/  #decidetocommit #researchteam #blogpost


Sometimes the loudest kind of heartbreak is the on
Sometimes the loudest kind of heartbreak is the one no one sees. 💔
When a relationship looks “fine” on the outside but feels empty on the inside, partners can slip into a silent divorce — a slow drift from connection to coexistence.
If you’ve ever felt alone next to someone you love, this piece will hit deep and offer clarity, language, and hope.
Read the full post at  https://decidetocommit.com/together-but-alone-understanding-silent-divorce/  #decidetocommit #blogpost #researchteam


Love doesn’t shrink just because miles get in the
Love doesn’t shrink just because miles get in the way — but it does ask you to show up differently. 💌✨ If you’ve ever loved someone who lives in another city, state, or timezone, this one will feel like a deep exhale.
Swipe into the research, the real talk, and the quiet work that makes long‑distance love not only possible… but powerful. ❤️‍🔥
Read the full post at  https://decidetocommit.com/when-love-lives-in-two-places-the-work-of-loving-across-distance/  #decidetocommit #researchteam #blogpost


A couple members of the team went to Glasgow, Scot
A couple members of the team went to Glasgow, Scotland for the IARR 2026 conference on July 7th-13th! We presented our new research on parental divorce and separation as well as two other presentations. It was such an amazing experience and the conference was thoroughly enjoyed!


The research team had an amazing semester, and cel
The research team had an amazing semester, and celebrated it at El Jimador! We will miss Sara as she embarks on a new journey in graduate school ❤️



Follow on Instagram



About Dr. Sibley

  • Contact Dr. Sibley
  • Current Projects
  • Education & Training
  • Presented Research
  • Published Research
  • Teaching Philosophy

About The Team

  • Conference Photo Gallery
  • Meet The Research Team
  • Research Team Alumni
  • What Our Team Is Reading

Archives

Recent Posts

  • Beyond Reassurance: How Commitment Creates Relationship Security
  • When Love Changes Form: Divorce, Family, and Mexican Culture
  • Together but Alone: Understanding Silent Divorce
  • When Love Lives in Two Places: The Work of Loving Across Distance
  • Conference on Undergraduate Research and Engagement 2026

More To Explore

  • People To Follow On X

  • X
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
Copyright © 2026
  • Built using Kale Pro by LyraThemes.

Loading Comments...