Relationships - 3. Theories of Romantic Relationships: 1. Social Exchange Theory Flashcards
Who developed the social exchange theory and when?
Thibault and Kelley in 1959
Shortened version of social exchange theory
SET
What type of theory is the social exchange theory?
An economic theory
Outline of the SET in terms of profits and losses
In romantic relationships, we want to maximise our profits (rewards from a relationship such as companionship and the feeling of being loved) while also minimising our losses (costs from a relationship such as time and stress)
What makes a relationship successful according to the SET?
Both parties are expected to give and take in equal proportions.
Rewards received from being in a relationship must outweigh the costs of being in that relationship
What is the opportunity cost involved in being a relationship?
This refers to the cost in terms of the lost alternative (E.g. not being able to spend time with family as you are committed to seeing your girlfriend that day)
2 ways to measure the profit in a relationship
Comparison level (CL
Comparison level alternative (CLalt)
What does CL refer to?
The rewards that you believe you deserve to gain from the relationship
What factors can impact our CL?
Our experiences of previous relationships, social norms and society in general
Example of past relationship experience impacting CL
If I got cheated on, my CL may be lowered as a may be happy being with someone who simply won’t cheat on me. This wouldn’t have happened unless I had my past experience.
Equally if I just left a really positive relationship, I would have a high CL
How may one base their CL on social norms?
They use social norms to shape their reasonable rewards that they expect to get. This is gained through reading books, watching films, watching TV programmes etc
How does the CL develop?
The more relationships we have, the more that the CL is developed
Person with a high CL and person with a low CL
Person with a low CL will be satisfied with gaining just a small profit (or even a loss) from a relationship
Person with a high CL will have higher self-esteem and believe they are worth a lot more and deserve lots
CLalt
Could we gain greater rewards and lesser costs from an alternative to this current relationship, such as starting a new relationship or becoming single?
When do alternatives become more appealing?
When the costs of the relationship outweigh the rewards
You’re only going to start questioning your current relationship when you become…
Dissatisfied
4 stages of relationship development
- Sampling stage
- Bargaining stage
- Commitment stage
- Institutionalisation 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
Bargaining stage
Romantic partners reach a compromise to ensure both individuals feel like they’re getting more rewards than costs from the relationship
Commitment stage
The sources of costs and rewards become more predictable and the relationship becomes more stable. There’s always a proportion of time/energy given to the partner and it doesn’t need to be bargained/compromised anymore
Institutionalisation stage
The partners are now settled down because the norms of the relationship, in terms of rewards and costs, are firmly establishedW
Why do relationships breakdown according to the SET?
If there are few rewards to a relationship and a high number of attractive alternatives
How did Hatfield question newlyweds to find support for the SET?
He questioned newlyweds about their level of contentment in their marriage and found that the happiest people were were those who felt that the marriage was equal for both partners in terms of costs and benefits
Who carried out key research to support the SET?
Kurdek and Schmitt
What did K and S investigate?
Investigated the importance of social exchange factors in determining relationship quality in 185 couples
Couples involved in K and S’s study
Heterosexual and gay couples who were either married or cohabiting
Method of K and S’s study into the SET?
Each couple completed a questionnaire without discussing their answers with each other
Findings of K and S’s study into the SET
For every type of couple greater relationship satisfaction was associated with the perception of many benefits of the current relationships (CL) and seeing alternative as less attractive (CLalt)
Limitations of the SET: assumption made
Assumes that people are inherently selfish in relationships by trying to maximise their rewards while minimising the costs
Limitations of the SET: Equity Theory
Equity Theory states that people aren’t looking for a relationship in which they can over-benefit, but one in which the rewards for both parties are equal
Limitations of the SET: quantification difficulty
It’s difficult to quantify/operationalise what ‘rewards’ and ‘costs’ are as they are subjective and unique to each person
Limitations of the SET: research into the SET
Most of the research into it is artificial
Limitations of the SET: culturally bias
Doesn’t explain relationships such as arranged marriages and relationships where the man has all of the decision making
Limitations of the SET: other factors that may lead to relationships breaking down
Fails to mention other factors that may contribute to a breakdown (E.g. peer disapproval of the relationship)
