Relationships: Equity Theory

Question 1

Outline Equity Theory.

Answer 1

Equity theory is also an economic theory which was developed in response to the Social Exchange Theory (SET) - SET fails to take into account the need most people have for equity (fairness) in a relationship. Fairness is achieved when people feel they get approximately what they deserve from relationships. Equity is subjective and based on perceived rewards-costs.There is negotiation and trade offs so that rewards are distributed fairly (but not equally).

Question 2

Outline inequity and its consequences.

Answer 2

The greater the perceived inequity in a relationship, the greater the dissatisfaction (positive correlation).The person who under benefits feels unhappiness which can lead to anger, hostility and resentment. The person who over benefits might feel guilt, discomfort, shame. Perceived level of equity changes as a relationship progresses as at the beginning of a relationship it may feel more natural for a person to contribute more than they receive, however if this stays the same or gradually worsens as the relationship progresses, the person will not remain as satisfied. An under benefitted person may deal with the issue through behavioral means- they will work harder to restore equity. They may also deal with inequity by changing their own perceptions of equity so that the relationship seems more equitable to themselves. This is a cognitive response.

Question 3

What are the strengths of equity theory?

Answer 3

+ Research support: Stafford and Canary (2006) found in their study of over 200 married couples completed questionnaires on relationship equity and satisfaction that participants had means of maintaining their relationships, such as by dividing chores, communicating positively and showing affection for one another. They found that partners who perceived their relationships as fair and balanced, followed by spouses who over-benefitted from the relationships, experienced the most satisfaction. Those who under-benefitted showed lowest levels of satisfaction.

+Support from animal studies: Brosnan and de Waal (2003), in their study of capuchin monkeys, found that they if monkeys were denied their reward (a bunch of grapes) for playing a game, they became very angry. This suggests that the importance of equity in relationships has ancient origins.

+Higher ecological validity than SET: Utne et al. Satisfied couples (out of a sample of 118, and who’d been dating for 2 or more years before marriage) valued equity as a key component of the success of their relationship, and preferred this balance compared to one or both members being benevolents or entitleds. Therefore, this suggests that equity has greater ecological validity than SET because it can explain the quality and satisfaction associated with real-life couples, as opposed to simply being theoretical.

Question 4

What are the weaknesses of equity theory?

Answer 4

• Research that contradicts theory: Berg and McQuinn (1986), conducted a longitudinal study on 38 dating couples. They didn’t find any increase in equity over time, but discovered that a high level of self-disclosure and perceived equity in the beginning of the relationships was a strong predictor that a couple would stay in their relationship, and low equity in the beginning was a reliable predictor of a break-up. In other words, it seems that perceived fairness is either present or not in relationships from the start, and does not develop with time, contrary to the prediction of Equity Theory. These findings oppose the central claim of the theory, and contradict the idea that equity increases over time, after the initiation of a romantic relationship.
• Culture bias and ethnocentrism: Aumer-Ryan et al. (2006) show that the concept of equity is more important in Western cultures than non-Western cultures. They found that both men and women from non-Western (collectivist) cultures claimed to be most satisfied with their relationships when they were over-benefitting from it, not when the relationships were fair. These results highlight a culture bias in this area of research and suggest that Equity Theory does not explain the development of romantic relationships in all cultures.
• No cause-effect relationship established: As with many other explanations of romantic relationships, there may be a cause and effect problem with Equity Theory. Some researchers suggest that dissatisfaction may be the cause, not the consequence, of perceived inequity. Weakens theory’s validity.