equity theory Flashcards
Equity theory definition
claims that people are most comfortable when what they get out of a relationship is roughly equal to what they put in
Ratio
Equity theory says that it is the ratio, rather than the size or amount of rewards and costs, that is most important.
If one partner puts a lot into the relationship but at the same time benefits a lot, then this will be considered fair.
relationship satisfaction
For relationship to be satisfying, there needs to be negotiation to make sure there is equity. That is, to make sure that rewards are distributed equally between the partners.
This will involve the inevitable trade-offs.
Relationship dissatisfaction
When there is a lack of equity, one partner over-benefits and the other under-benefits from the relationship.
This can lead to dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
The under-benefitted partner is likely to feel the most dissatisfaction, often in the form of hostility, anger, resentment and humiliation.
The over-benefitted partner might suffer with feelings of guilt, discomfort and shame.
Satisfaction is about perceived fairness.
Stafford and Canary
proc: In their study over 200 married couples completed questionnaires on relationship equity and satisfaction.
In addition, participants were asked questions about the ways they maintained their relationships, such as by dividing chores, communicating positively and showing affection for one another.
findings: partners who perceived their relationships as fair and balanced, followed by spouses who over-benefitted from the relationships, experienced the most satisfaction. Those who under-benefitted showed lowest levels of satisfaction
AO3:
lim: causality
lim: gender diffs
lim: cultural diffs
str: evidence ftom non-human primates
lim: causality
May be a cause and effect problem
Some researchers suggest that dissatisfaction may be the cause, not the consequence, of perceived inequity.
However, Van Yperen and Buunk (1990) studied married couples and found that dissatisfaction in inequitable relationships increased with time, not the other way around.
Furthermore, there are also some important individual differences in perception of equity. There are people who are less sensitive to inequity and are prepared to give more in the relationships (benevolents, according to Hussman et al., 1987). Other people, entitleds, believe they deserve to over-benefit from relationships and don’t feel too guilty about this.
lim: gender diffs
Gender differences in perception of relationship fairness that Equity Theory ignores.
Researchers such as Sprecher found that women tend to be more disturbed when under-benefitting from relationships, and feel more guilt when over-benefitting, while DeMaris et al. suggest that women are more focused on relationships, and so are more sensitive to injustices.
These results indicate clear gender differences between males and females and highlight the importance of conducting research into males and females separately, to avoid gender bias.
However, this may then result in an alpha bias and exaggerate differences between males and females that do not actually exist.
lim: cultural diffs
Concept of equity is not as important in non-Western cultures
Studies such as Aumer-Ryan et al. (2006) show that the concept of equity is more important in Western cultures than non-Western cultures.
They found that both men and women from non-Western (collectivist) cultures claimed to be most satisfied with their relationships when they were over-benefitting from it, not when the relationships were fair.
These results highlight a culture bias in this area of research and suggest that Equity Theory does not explain the development of romantic relationships in all cultures.
str: study of non-human primates
Study of capuchin monkeys
Found that female capuchin monkeys became angry if they were denied a highly prized reward of grapes in return for playing a game
If another monkey who didnt play the game got the grapes, they became v angry and threw food at the experimenter
Shows that perception of inequity has ancient origins
