Lesson 5 - ToRR: Social Exchange Theory

Question 1

Who developed SET?

Answer 1

Thibault and Kelley (1959)

Question 2

What does it assume of romantic partners?

Answer 2

It assumes that romantic partners act out of self-interest in exchanging rewards and costs.

A satisfying and healthy relationship is maintained when rewards exceed costs and alternatives are less attractive than this current relationship

Question 3

How is subjectivity introduced in this theory?

Answer 3

The idea of rewards and losses are different for everyone, therefore a massive reward for someone may be less significant for someone else.

Question 4

Rewards

Answer 4

Companionship, sex and emotional support.

Question 5

Blau (1964)

Answer 5

Spoke in the economic language of relationships, relationships can be ‘expensive’ so costs include time, stress, energy and compromise etc. He mentioned that another significant ‘cost’ to someone in a relationship is opportunity - meaning your time and energy cannot be used elsewhere as it is being invested in your current relationship

Question 6

How can we measure the profit of a relationship?

Answer 6

1. Comparison Level (CL) - The amount of reward you believe you deserve in a relationship. This perception is shaped by previous relationships and social norms and culture. A relationship is ‘worth it’ if the CL is high.
2. Comparison Level for Alternative (CLalt) - The second measure of profit is to ascertain whether you can yield more rewards somewhere else, or even if being alone gains more rewards. We stay in our current relationship if profits are higher than the alternatives

Question 7

Comparison Level and self esteem

Answer 7

Someone with a low self-esteem will be satisfied with gaining a very small profit (or even a loss) from a relationship whereas someone with a higher self-esteem will believe they are worth a lot more.

Question 8

Stages of SET

Answer 8

• Sampling stage – we explore the rewards and costs of social exchange by experimenting in our own relationships and observing others – this can also be the case for friendships too
• Bargaining stage – this marks the beginning of a relationship, when romantic partners start exchanging various rewards and costs and negotiating and identifying what is most profitable
• Commitment stage – as time goes on, the sources of costs and rewards become more predictable and the relationship becomes more stable as rewards increases and costs are less
• Institutionalisation stage – partners now settled down because the rewards and costs in a relationship are firmly established.

Question 9

Strengths of SET

Answer 9

• Gottman (1992) supports SET. Individuals in unsuccessful marriages frequently reported a lack of positive behaviour exchanges with their partner and too many negative ones. In successful marriages, the ratio of rewards to costs should be 5:1, whereas in failing ones it is 1:1. This study shows how important rewards and costs are to a relationship’s success
• Real life applications. Integrated couples therapy by Jacobson (2000) helps partners to break negative patterns of behaviours and to decrease negative exchanges, whilst increasing positive exchanges. It teaches couples how to maximise rewards and decrease costs in order for the relationship to be more satisfying for both partners. **SET is successful in helping partners reconcile. **

Question 10

Weaknesses of SET

Answer 10

• Argyle challenges the social exchange theory. Argyle states that people do not actively monitor their rewards and costs in a relationship. People only monitor these when the relationship becomes dissatisfying. Duck agrees with Argyle in saying that we only look at comparison levels when we are unhappy, not when the relationship is flourishing.
• The SET is rooted in the behaviourist approach, as rewards and costs are an example of operant condition, to maintain the relationship. Some rewards have little rewards but many costs, like abuse, but they still continue, therefore the cognitive approach may be better in explaining SET.
• Littlejohn (1989) found it difficult to define what reward and costs was as it is so subjective. a child may be a ‘cost’ to someone but a ‘rewards to someone else.
• Moghaddam (1998) criticised it for being more applicable to western individualistic cultures and not eastern collectivist cultures. Perception of rewards and costs is different in different cultures.
• Much of the research conducted on the social exchange theory can be criticised because it has focused on students who are in short term relationships. Using a limited sample of participants who are quite young, might mean that the results gained from the research might be invalid and not very strong evidence.