Psychology - Relationships - Theories of romantic relationships - Social exchange theory Flashcards
Who proposed the social exchange theory?
Thibault and Kelley (1959)
What does social exchange theory assume?
That romantic partners act out of self interest in exchanging rewards and costs.
According to SET, when is a satisfying and committed relationship maintained?
When rewards exceed costs and potential alternatives are less attractive than the current relationship
What is SET based on?
economic assumptions of exchange where we minimise losses and maximise gains
What do rewards in a relationship include?
Beneficial things like companionship, sex and emotional support
What did Blau (1964) say about relationships?
Can be expensive, costing time, stress, energy and compromise. As well as this it costs opportunities
Which two ways do we measure profit in a romantic relationship?
Comparison level and Comparison level for alternative
Comparison level
amount of reward you believe you deserve, based on self esteem.
What develops our comparison levels?
Experiences in previous relationships which feed into the expectations of our current ones.
what is CL influenced by?
social norms within a culture what is widely considered to be a reasonable level of reward
CLalt
comparison level for alternatives
comparison level for alternatives
The second measure of profit providing a wider context for our current relationship. “could we gain more profit from another relationship with less costs and more rewards?”
What does Social Exchange Theory predict about alternatives in relationships?
We will stay in our current relationship so long as we believe that it is more rewarding than alternatives
How many stages does Thibault and Kelley’s Social Exchange Theory describe?
Four
What are the four stages of Thibault and Kelley’s Social Exchange Theory?
Sampling stage, Bargaining stage, Commitment stage and Institutionalisation stage
What is the first stage of Thibault and Kelley’s Social exchange theory?
Sampling stage
Sampling stage
We explore the rewards and costs of social exchange by experimenting with them in our own relationships, or by observing others doing so.
What is the second stage of Thibault and Kelley’s Social exchange theory?
Bargaining stage
Bargaining stage
This marks the beginning of a relationship, when romantic partners start exchanging various rewards and costs, negotiating and identifying what is most profitable.
What is the third stage of Thibault and Kelley’s Social exchange theory?
Commitment stage
Commitment stage
As time goes on, the sources of costs and rewards become more predictable and the relationship becomes more stable as rewards increase and costs lessen.
What is the fourth stage of Thibault and Kelley’s Social exchange theory?
Institutionalisation
Institutionalisation stage
Partners now settled down because the rewards and costs in a relationship are firmly established.
What are the strengths of Social Exchange Theory?
- Evidence to support it from Gottman (1992) - Applications to couples with problems from intergrated couples therapy (2000)
What are the weaknesses of Social Exchange Theory?
- Challenged by Argyle and Duck - Blau argues that it’s about the cognitive approach rather than the behaviourist approach - Littlejohn (1989) found it difficult to define what a reward is - Moghaddam (1998) criticised it due to cultural applications - Criticised for the sample on students in short relationship
What evidence did Gottman (1992) find to support Social Exchange Theory?
He found people in unsuccessful marriages report a lack of positive exchanges with their partner and an excess of negative ones. Successful marriages the ratio of positive to negative exchanges is 5:1 but in unsuccessful it’s 1:1. Shows importance of costs and rewards.
How did Jacobson (2000) show Social Exchange Theory’s application?
Through integrated couples therapy, which helps partners break negative patterns of behaviour and decrease negative exchanges and increases positive exchanges. Practical use.
Why does Argyle challenge Social Exchange Theory?
He disagrees with the idea that people spend a great deal of time monitoring relationships in terms of rewards and costs. People only monitor rewards and costs once the relationship becomes dissatisfying. Duck agrees with him.
Why does Duck agree with Argyle challenging Social Exchange Theory?
States we only look at comparison levels in a relationship when we are dissatisfied not when we are happy and the relationship is successful.
Why does Blau believe the cognitive approach explains social exchange theory Behaviourist approach?
He would argue humans are selfish to see relationships in this light. It is rooted in the behaviourist approach where the focus of the relationship maintenance is about rewards and operant conditioning. Some relationships have little rewards and still continue. So cognitive may explain it better.
What did research by Littlejohn (1989) showed that it is difficult to define what a reward or cost is?
Rewards and costs in a relationship and this might differ from one person to another. A cost could be reviewed as a reward to another person (child). The theory needs to be closely examined how individuals view and think about rewards and costs.
Why did Moghaddam (1998) criticise the social exchange theory?
It’s more applicable to western cultures and may be difficult to apply elsewhere. Perceived costs and rewards of relationships might be very different round the world from one culture to the next or may not be as important.
Why was the sample of young people in short term relationships criticised in Social exchange theory?
Using a young and limited sample may make results invalid as we can’t apply the findings to long term older couples with a different dynamic
