Relationships: Social Exchange Theory Flashcards
what’s social exchange theory?
a theory of how relationships form and develop. it assumes that romantic partners act out of self-interest in exchanging rewards and costs. a satisfying relationship is maintained when reward exceeds cost and potential alternatives are less than current relationship.
what can be said about rewards, costs and profits?
Thibault + Kelley we try to minimise cost and maximise gain. satisfaction is judged on how much profit we gain. rewards are companionship, sex, support and costs are stress, energy.
what’s comparison levels?
the amount of reward you believe you deserve. it develops from experience of previous relationships and influenced by social norms. we consider a relationship worth pursing if CL is high. it links to self-esteem - low self esteem means low CL (satisfied by small profit).
what’s comparison level for alternatives?
a person will consider if they can gain greater rewards and fewer costs from another relationship. we will stay in our current relationship if there is no better alternative. the CLalt we adopted depends on the current relationship - if cost outweighs reward, the alternative seems better.
what’s the stages of relationship development?
sampling - explore rewards and costs by experimenting in own relationship. bargaining - partners exchange rewards and costs to identify what’s profitable. commitment - rewards/costs come more predictable and stable. institutionalisation - partners are settled down and rewards and costs are established.
