3 - Theories Of Romantic Relationships - Social Exchange Theory

Question 1

Define social exchange theory

Answer 1

Theory of romantic relationships. Relationships form by each partner acting out of self-interest to exchange costs and rewards in order to gain a profit.

Question 2

Who proposed social exchange theory?

Answer 2

Thibault + Kelley

Question 3

What is the Minimax Principle?

Answer 3

Part of social exchange theory.

Idea that we try to minimise costs + maximise rewards in relationships.

Question 4

What does social exchange theory suggest about what is needed for a relationship to form and be maintained?

Answer 4

Relationships must be profitable for us to be satisfied (rewards outweigh costs)

Question 5

What are some examples of rewards in relationships?

Answer 5

• Attention
• Sex
• Gifts
• Emotional support

Question 6

What are some examples of costs in relationships?

Answer 6

• Opportunity cost
• Stress
• Energy
• Compromising own goals

Question 7

What is opportunity cost?

Answer 7

Time spent with bad partner wastes time that could have been spent with a potential good long term partner

Question 8

Is ‘profit’ objective or subjective? Why?

Answer 8

Subjective - people place different values on certain rewards and certain costs, meaning relationships may not be seen as profitable by different people

Question 9

What two levels are used to assess whether a relationship is profitable in the social exchange theory?

Answer 9

• Comparison level

- Comparison level for alternatives

Question 10

What is Comparison Level?

Answer 10

• Part of social exchange theory

- The amount of reward you believe you deserve to get

Question 11

What three factors affect Comparison Level?

Answer 11

• Relationships we have seen (social norms in media etc)
• Previous relationships (amount of reward received in past)
• Self esteem (people with low self esteem often believe they don’t deserve a large amount of rewards + vice versa)

Question 12

What is Comparison Level for Alternatives?

Answer 12

The view of our own relationship’s ‘profit’ (balance of rewards + costs) compared to other relationships

Question 13

When is it thought that we begin to assess our Comparison Level for Alternatives more?

Answer 13

If we feel the costs outweighing the rewards in our own relationship/when we start to feel dissatisfied we look elsewhere

Question 14

What occurs in Comparison Level for Alternatives?

Answer 14

• Look at other relationships to see if profit looks better (more rewarding)
• Only satisfied with our own relationship if it seems to have a good profit compared to others

Question 15

What is profit in a relationship?

Answer 15

Balance between rewards and costs

Calculated: rewards - costs

Question 16

If we view our relationship as profitable, we are …?

Answer 16

Satisfied + likely to continue the relationship

Question 17

Outline the Stages of Development put forward with the Social Exchange Theory

Answer 17

1) Sampling Stage
Explore rewards + costs through: own non-romantic relationships + observing other romantic relationships
2) Bargaining Stage
Start of romantic relationship. Partners exchange rewards + costs, starting to determine their profit.
3) Commitment Stage
Relationship progresses + is more predictable. Rewards increase + costs decrease.
4) Institutionalisation Stage
Norms of relationships (normal profit) is fully established

Question 18

Give 2 positive evaluation points for Social Exchange Theory

Answer 18

Research Support
- Research to support SET from Rusbult
- Longitudinal study over 7 months on heterosexual college students
- Ppts did questionnaires every few weeks
- Found: In honeymoon stage, comparing costs + rewards doesn’t happen.
After honeymoon stage, compare costs + rewards to determine whether relationship is profitable, if so more likely to continue in relationship.
- Research supports idea that long term relationships occur when the relationship is seen as profitable (rewards outweigh costs)

Real world application - Integrated Behavioural Couples Therapy

• SET has been employed in the real world in therapy
• Couples taught how to increase positive exchanges + decrease negative exchanges
• Allows couples to feel their relationship is more profitable + satisfying
• Couples are happier + more likely to stay together
• So, SET is beneficial in the real world, helping improve real relationships

Question 19

Give 2 negative evaluation points for Social Exchange Theory

Answer 19

Vague concepts

• SET uses concepts that are vague + hard to quantify
• Hard to quantify rewards + costs - vary in importance between people
• Hard to quantify when a relationship becomes unprofitable + dissatisfactory compared to alternatives
• So, SET is very subjective, with its components hard to measure and objectively confirm as part of a theory

Hard to establish cause-effect of dissatisfaction

• SET suggest low CL + CLA cause relationship dissatisfaction
• Hard to confirm this causal link
• Argyle suggested people only start comparing their relationship when they are dissatisfied with their own profit + looking for better
• So, hard to suggest whether SET is correct (comparison causes dissatisfaction) or it is incorrect (dissatisfaction causes comparison)