Marriages break down if divorce (exit) is too easy; but also become unbearable if there is no sense of mutuality and discussion (voice). Voice may also decrease if new possibilities emerge: a new potential partner means that there is no longer any pressure to discuss and improve relations within the existing arrangement.
在人际关系中，这一理论很容易观察。若离婚（退出）很容易，则婚姻就会破裂；但若缺少共同性或沟通（呼吁），婚姻同样难以维持。如果新的可能性浮现，则呼吁会减弱：潜在的新伴侣意味着不再有在现有框架内讨论和改善关系的压力。