Relationships - Theories of Romantic Relationships Flashcards
What is the Social Exchange Theory?
An economic theory with partners seeing relationships as similar to a business performing a cost-benefit analysis, maximising rewards, minimising losses.
Rewards include self-esteem, entertainment, financial security, friendship, sex.
Costs include giving up time, emotional instability, stress, loss of money, opportunity cost.
Thibaut and Kelley: said there are two types of comparisons where we measure profits of our relationship.
What’s Comparison Level?
Comparing our relationship to previous relationships/ other people’s relationships/ relationships in the media to get an idea of how rewarding relationships should be, linked to feelings of self-worth.
What’s Comparison with Alternatives?
Looking at other potential partners, considering whether they’d give a higher profit, if so, original relationship will end.
What’s Equity Theory?
Development of social exchange theory economic model by Hatfield, including equality in economic model.
Equality’s the balance of rewards and costs being the same for both partners, even if particular rewards and costs are different.
What are Over-Benefits in the Equity Theory?
If one partner feels they get more overall costs, they will pity and guilt and may end the relationship.
What are Under-Benefits in the Equity Theory?
If one partner feels they get more overall costs, they will feel resentful and angry and may end the relationship.
What’s the Investment Theory?
Development of social exchange theory, including a consideration of how much has been invested in current relationship, not just current satisfaction.
What are Investments?
Investments are different to rewards and costs as once invested in relationship, investment can’t be easily recovered in a breakup.
What are Intrinsic Investments?
Resources placed directly into relationship, like emotional work, time, self-disclosures.
What are Extrinsic Investments?
Resources originally outside of the relationship that’s now connected to relationship, shared friends, material possessions.
AO3: Research to Support SET and Investment Theory
P: Rusbult.
E: Longitudinal questionnaire on costs rewards, investment, comparisons using 17 males and 17 females.
E: Results showed cost-benefit analysis applied less to start of the relationship but was considered as relationship developed., also showed investment size increased resulting in greater commitment.
L: Increase validity of theories.
AO3: Limitation
P: Studies in this area of psychology use self-report methods e.g. questionnaires, and most designs look for correlations.
E: Variables like social desirability bias could influence results.
E: Hard to establish cause and effect.
L: Lowers external validity of studies.
AO3: Cultural Bias
P: SET and equity theory may have cultural bias.
E: Take a Western approach.
E: Collectivist cultures may have less focus on personal satisfaction e.g. arranged marriage usually considers family happiness.
L: Lowers external validity.
