R5. ToRR: SET Flashcards
1
Q
The Social Exchange Theory
A
- ‘economical approach’
- relationships judged upon relative costs and benefits
2
Q
‘Minimax’ principles
A
- aim is to increase rewards and decrease benefits
- time, energy and money invested in relationship, so want to ‘get our worth’
- ‘opportunity cost’; choose between investing resources between current relationship, or others
3
Q
Comparison Levels (CL)
A
- perceived self-worth
- becomes more sophisticated with experience
- influenced by social and cultural factors
4
Q
CL Effect
A
- determines quality of relationship we look for
- quality of partner
- low-self-esteem individual may ‘settle’ for a relationship with little profit
5
Q
Comparison of Alternatives
A
- individuals may end relationships if they see alternatives with a larger ROI
- sign of an unstable relationship
6
Q
4 stages of measuring relationship quality and profit
A
- sampling: rewards/cost determined through trial/error
- bargaining: alongside commitment, compromises are made (costs/rewards)
- commitment: standards of cost/reward know to both parties
- institutionalisation: standards well established
7
Q
- Eval: Retrospective
A
- would be better in explaining relationship breakdown, than initial development
- concepts cannot be objectively and quantitatively measured
8
Q
- Eval: Assumes that considering alternatives triggers dissatisfaction
A
- people in loving relationships won’t look anywhere else, due to being satisfied
- current relationship benefits exceed associated costs, due to own perceived CL
- accurate for comparison levels as mechanism for relationship breakdown
9
Q
- Eval: SET overemphasises CL’s and ignores equity
A
- uneven equity levels likely to be major cause of dissatisfaction
- even if CL levels the same
