L6 - Equity Theory Flashcards
What type of model is this and what is it based on?
- Economic model
- Idea of fairness for each partner
- Emphasises need that each partner experiences a balance between their costs/efforts and their benefits/rewards
Why will distress be felt?
- Relationship becomes unfair
- If people over-benefit, getting more rewards, they feel guilty/pity
- If people under-benefit, getting less rewards, they feel angry/sad
When will an imbalance of rewards be tolerated.
- When both parties accept the situation
- e.g partner loses job, the other tolerates and understands
What is the difference between equity and equality?
- Equity = fairness
- Each person must feel the relationship is fair, a fair ratio is costs and rewards for each individual
Evaluation (+)
(+) Studied 1500 couples and found if women were under-benefiting to a high degree, there is a high risk of divorce occurring, so equity is important for women in a relationship
(+) Female monkeys became angry if they were denied a prize for playing a game with a researcher, especially if they saw another monkey who had not played receive the grapes. They hurled food at the experimenter in anger. Equity is rooted in our ancient origins
Evaluation (-)
(-) More applicable to individualistic cultures, where they are concerned with equal rewards and costs in order to for a relationship to be successful. In collectivist cultures, extended family networks and values may be more important, might be successful due to cultural expectations and obligations of roles
(-) No association between equity in a relationship and the future quality/maintenance of a relationship. People have free will and can leave of the relationship is equitable
(-) It is not possible to assess equity as the rewards and costs are emotional and cannot be easily measured. Measuring it could diminish the quality of love in the relationship, damaging it.
