Relationships - maintenance

Question 1

Rusbult (social exchange)

Answer 1

• heterosexual college students
• longitudinal study
• people’s satisfaction, alternatives and investments predicted how committed they were to the relationship

Question 2

Floyd (social exchange)

Answer 2

• commitment develops when couples are satisfied and feel rewarded

Question 3

Van Yperen and Buunk (equity)

Answer 3

• longitudinal study
• 259 couples recruited by advert, 86% married
• given scale to measure satisfaction
• 1 year later, rate satisfaction
• most satisfied couples were in equitable relationships, those under-benefited were least satisfied
• suggests equity more important than how much a person benefits

Question 4

Walster (equity)

Answer 4

• 500 couples, interview
• consider all things they contributed/get out
• how they felt
• more equitable the more content and happy
• those who over-benefited felt uncomfortable and guilty, those who under-benefited felt less content and angrier

Question 5

Clarke and Mills (alternative theory)

Answer 5

• two types of relationships:
• communal = principle concern for other’s needs, no expectation of benefit
• exchange = benefits given in response to benefit received
• communal couples are happier
• suggests SET and ET only apply to certain kinds of relationships
• degree of communiality might be better predictor

Question 6

Moghaddam (IDA)

Answer 6

• economic theories reflect cultural bias
• reflect North American principles of individualism, capitalism and market place orientation
• cannot be applied to other societies/cultures