A02 maintenance if romantic rel Flashcards
What are the 3 sections for the evaluation if the set
Profit and loss
Comparison level
Limitations
Who tested profit and loss
Rusbult and mart
What did rusbult and mart fo and find
Used the theory to explain why women stay in abusive rels
A woman may do so cz the investments are high (kids, financial securuty) and alternatives are low (nowhere else to live, no money) this could still be considered a profit situation so she’ll remain in the rel.
Who tested comparison level
Simpson et al
What did Simpson et al do and find
The way in which people reduce potential alternative or threats to protect the rel
Asked Pps to rate members of opposition sex. Those already in rel gave lower rating
Problem in terms of comparison level
Set doesn’t explain why people go into a rel even though there are no alternatives
Also doesn’t explain how great the despair in Cl must be ti become unsatisfactory
Talk about general limitations to the set
The selfish nature of the theory
Are people really only motivated to maintaining a rel due to selfish concerns
Does this only apply to individualist cultures which brings in cultural bias
It also focuses too much on the individuals perspective and informed the social aspects if a rel e.g. how they communicate
Who tested The role if relationship inequity in marital disruption
Demaris
What are the 3 sections for the equity theory
Exchange and communal rels
The role if relationship inequity in marital disruption
Equit:an insufficient theory
What did deMaris do and find
Investigated whether martial inequity is linked to marital disruption
Found that the only subjective index linking inequity with disruption is women’s sens of being under benefited. Greater under benefit = higher chance if disruption/divorce.
Who tested exchange and communal rels
Clark and mills
What did Clark and mills do and find
Disagrees that rels are based on economics (input and output)
Found that although exchange rles may involve keeping track if rewards and costs, communal rels are governed more by the desire to respond to the needs of the partner.
Who talked about equity being an insufficient theory
Ragsdale
Brandau-brown
What did ragsdale say about it
Equity isn’t a key determinant of rel maintenance
Theory is an incomplete rendering of the way in which married couples behave with respect to each other
So the theory is insufficient to explain marital maintenance
