Relationships - theories of romance - SET and Equity Flashcards
what type of theory is social exchange?
a economic theory
what is an economic theory?
based on the assumption that people in the relationship want exchange.
people seek to give and recieve goods
who made SET?
Kelley and Thibault
what is the minimax principle?
we try to minimise our losses and maximise our gains in a relationship .
we judge how good arelationship in terms of the profit it yeilds (rewards minus costs)
how is cost and reward system subjective?
1) what one person considers a reward will be different to another person
2) the value of costs and reward can change across the same relationship
what could be a reward in a relationship?
funny, compasionate, sex
examples of cost?
stress, loud, comprimise
what two ways do we measure profit in a relationship?
comparison level
comparison level for altneratives
what is CL?
the amount of rewards you believe you deserve
what influences CL?
PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS, social norms which are reinforced by media and tv.
how does our CL change
the more experience with relationships and the world change our CL BECAUSE WE EQUIRE MORE DATA TO SET IT BY
HOW IS CL LINKED TO SELF ESTEEM
someone with low self esteem will have low CL , they might even be happy losing in a relationship
what is the comparison level for alternatives
we question if we could do better in another rleationship.
we will only stay in our current relationship if it is better than the altneratives
what are the stages of relationship development?
1)sampling
2)bargaining
3)commitment
4)institutionalisation
what is the sampling stage?
we xplore the rewards and costs of various relationships
what is the bargaining stage?
beggining of a relationship
start exchanging costs and rewards
identify what is profitable
what is the commitment stage?
relationships strengthens as rewards are more and costs are less
what is institutionalisation stage?
partners settle down and the proft system has been established
evaluate SET
- problems with causation - suggests we become dissatisifed after comparison but MILLER suggests this comes after dissfaction if this is the case, what causes us to be dissatified and break up
- INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES SOME PEOPLE WILL STAY EVEN THOUGH THEY DO HAVE BETTER ALTERNATIVES - STATIC VIEW OF RELATIONSHIP IGNORE EMOTION
- ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATION - INVESTMENT MODEL - STAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE INVESTMENT
- ## PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS - UNDERTSNA WHY PEOPLE ARE IN ABUSEIVE RELATIONSHIPS GET THEM HELP
WHAT TYPE OF THEORY IS EQUITY?
econmoic
who made equity theory
walster
what is equity theory?
levels of profit in a relationship should be similar
they dont have to be the same
fairness should be percieved
what is a relationship in inequity?
one underbenefits and one overbenefits
how does underbenefted partner feel?
anger, humiliation, sadness
how does overbenefited partner feel?
guilty, discomfort and shame
why is equity not equality
they put different things into the relationship they do not have to be the same they should just both be getting profit
for equity theory what is there a correlation between?
inequity and dissatsifaction
people who are underbeneffited will be dissatisfied and struggle to stay commited
WHEN DO WE BECOME DISSATISIFED
- we become dissatisfied when levels of ewuity change
- at the start it could feel normal to give more
- but if this continues and you get less you will be dissatisfied
how do you deal with inequity (behaviour)?
1) the undersatisifed partner will try harder to increase equity as long as they believe it is possible to do so
2) the more unfair the relationship the harder they will try
how do you deal with inequity (cognitive)?
1) look over reward system and change how you look at it rather than change behaviour
2) what once was seen as a cost is no longer a cost, it is accepted
what are the theories of romantic relationships?
ducks phase model
rusbults investment model
equity theory
SET
summary a01 for SET
kelley and thibault 1959
1) econmic theories
2)REWARDS COST AND PROFIT INTRPDUCTION
2) COMPARISON LEVEL
3) COMPARISON LEVEL FOR ALTERNATIVES
4)STAGES OF RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT
which theory put forward stages of relationship development>
SET
summary a01 for equity?
walster
1) what is equity?
2)equity vs equaliy
3) how to deal with inequity
when was set?
1959
what was utnes research?
- survey of 118 newly married couples
- couples who were equitable were more satisfied than the couples who said they were over/under beneffiting
what was berg and McQuins research?
- longitudinal study
- found that equity did not increase
- equity was not important in the staying / breaking up of a relationship other factors like self-disclosure were more important
Evaluate equity
+ Utne reserch into newly married couples
- refuting research from McQuin and berg for other aspects of the theory that are more convincing because longitudinal
- individual differences - husemen - some people are less sensitive to equity
- cultural differences - collect = over benefiting not equity - NOT A UNIVSERAL NEED
