Equity Theory Flashcards
1
Q
What is equity theory?
A
- An economic theory based on the idea of fairness for each partner.
2
Q
What does equity theory emphasise?
A
- the need for each partner to experience a balance between their cost/effort and their benefit/reward in order to be comfortable in their relationship.
3
Q
What is the central assumption of equity theory?
A
- that most people are comfortable when they perceive that they are getting roughly what they deserve from any given relationship.
4
Q
According to this theory, what should an equitable relationship be?
A
- one where one partner’s benefits minus their costs equals their partners benefits minus their costs.
5
Q
What happens in relationships which lack equity?
A
- they are associated with dissatisfaction.
6
Q
What happens if people feel over-benefitted?
A
- they may experience pity, guilt and shame.
7
Q
What happens if people feel under-benefitted?
A
- they may experience anger, sadness and resentment.
8
Q
As inequity greatness what happens?
A
- dissatisfaction and stress also increases and the partner is more motivated to do something about it.
9
Q
What happens when people perceive inequity in their relationships?
A
- Hatfield and Rapson suggested that they are motivated to restore it which can be achieved in three different ways.
10
Q
What are the three ways in which inequality can be restored?
A
- restoration of actual equity, restoration of psychological equity and if couples are unable to restore equity in their relationship, they can leave it.
11
Q
Evaluation - Stafford and Canary (Procedure)
A
- Interested in how equity and satisfaction predicted the use of maintenance strategies typically used in marriage.
- They asked over 200 married couples to complete measures of equity and relationship satisfaction.
- Each spouse was asked questions about their use of relationship maintenance strategies such as assurance, sharing tasks and positivity.
12
Q
Evaluation - Stafford and Canary Findings
A
- Satisfaction was highest for spouses who perceived their relationships to be equitable, followed by over-benefitted partners and then under-benefitted partners.
- Under-benefitted husbands reported significantly lower levels of relationship maintenance strategies compared to equitable or over-benefitted husbands.
- Spouses who were treated equitably tended to be happier and so were more likely to engage in behaviours that contributed to their spouses sense of equity and happiness.
13
Q
Evaluation - Problem of Causality
A
- Although research has established that inequity and dissatisfaction are linked, the nature of the causal relationship itself is not clear.
- Clark argues that in most relationships, couples do not think in terms of reward and equity and that if they do, this is a sign that their marriage is in trouble. According to this perspective, dissatisfaction with a relationship is the cause not the consequence of inequity.
- A study of married couples, found that people in inequitable marriages, dissatisfaction decreased over the course of a year.
14
Q
Evaluation - Cultural Differences
A
- The concept of equity may not be as important in non-Western cultures given that most research on equity theory has been carried out in the US and in Western Europe.
- Aumer-Ryan et al: found that, in all the cultures they studied, people considered it important that a relationship or marriage should be equitable. However, people in the different cultures differed markedly in how fair and equitable they considered their relationships to be. Both men and women in the US claimed to be in the most equitable relationships, and both men and women from Jamaica claimed to be in the least equitable relationships.
15
Q
Evaluation - Gender Differences In The Importance Of Equity
A
- DeMaris et al: men and women are not equally affected by inequity in romantic relationships.
- Women tend to perceive themselves as more under-benefitted and less over-benefitted in relationships compared to men.
- Also, women are more disturbed by being under benefitted then men.
