Social exchange theory

Question 1

what is the social exchange theory?

Answer 1

social exchange theory is 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 and committed relationship is maintained when rewards exceed costs and potential alternatives are less attractive than the current relationship.

Question 2

who proposed the social exchange theory?

Answer 2

Thibault and Kelley (1959)

Question 3

what does the social exchange theory claim about behaviour in relationships?

Answer 3

set claims that behaviour in relationships reflects the economic assumptions of exchange.

Question 4

what is the minimax principle?

Answer 4

in a relationship, we try to maximise the gains and minimises the losses. So, we judge our relationship in terms of the profit it yields, defined as the rewards minus the costs.

Question 5

Rewards and costs are…?

What one person considers a significant reward might be viewed by someone else as …?

Answer 5

subjective

… Less valuable

Question 6

when might the value of rewards change?

Answer 6

over time and over the course of the relationship.

what is seen as rewarding or costly in the beginning might be viewed by someone else as less valuable.

Question 7

what are the rewards in a relationship?

Answer 7

companionship, sex and emotional support

Question 8

what are costs in a relationship?

Answer 8

time, stress, energy, compromise, etc.

Question 9

According to Peter Blau (1964), relationships can be …

Answer 9

‘expensive’

… and so have lots of costs.

Question 10

what other type of costs do relationships incur? what does this cost mean with regards to relationships?

Answer 10

an opportunity cost - your investment of time and energy in your current relationship means using resources that you cannot use elsewhere.

Question 11

what 2 ways do we measure the profit in a romantic relationship?

Answer 11

comparison level

comparison levels for alternatives.

Question 12

what is the comparison level?

Answer 12

the comparison level is essentially the amount of reward that you believe you deserve to get.

Question 13

comparison levels develop out of …?

Answer 13

comparison levels develop out of our experiences of previous relationships which feed into our expectations of the current one.

it’s also influenced by social norms that determine what is widely considered, within a culture, to be a reasonable level of reward. This is often reflected in books, films and TV programmes.

Question 14

what happens over time with regards to comparison levels?

Answer 14

over time, we get more relationships under our belt and more experience of social norms, so our Cl changes as we acquire more ‘data’ to set it by.

Question 15

we consider a relationship worth pursuing if …

Answer 15

…our Cl is high

Question 16

there is a link between Cl level and …?

what is the link?

Answer 16

…self-esteem

someone with low self-esteem will have a low Cl and will therefore be satisfied with gaining a small profit or even a loss. Someone with higher self-esteem will believe they are worth a lot more.

Question 17

what is comparison level for alternatives?

Answer 17

comparison level for alternatives is a judgement that a partner makes concerning whether a relationship with a different partner would bring more rewards and fewer costs.

It provides a wider context for our current relationships.

Question 18

for the comparison level for alternatives, we ask ourselves …?

Answer 18

could we gain greater rewards and fewer costs from another relationship or being on our own?

could I do better?

*is the grass greener elsewhere?

Question 19

SET believes that we will stay in our current relationship only so long as …

Answer 19

SET believes that we will stay in our current relationship only so long as we believe it is more rewarding than the alternatives.

Question 20

According to Duck (1994), the CLalt we adopt will depend on …

Answer 20

… the state of our current relationship.

Question 21

when do the alternatives become more attractive?

Answer 21

the alternatives become more attractive when the cost of our relationship outweighs the rewards.

Then it is said that there are plenty more fish in the sea.

Question 22

what do the stages of relationship development concern?

Answer 22

the stages concern the 4 stages through which relationships develop.

Question 23

who developed the stages of relationship development and also the social exchange theory?

Answer 23

Thibault and Kelley

Question 24

what are the 4 stages of relationship development?

Answer 24

• sampling stage
• bargaining stage
• commitment stage
• institutionalisation stage

Question 25

what happens during the sampling stage?

Answer 25

during the sampling stage, we explore the rewards and costs of social exchange by experimenting with them in our own relationships (not just romantic ones), or by observing others doing so.

Question 26

what happens during the bargaining stage?

Answer 26

this marks the beginning of a relationship, when romantic partners start exchanging various rewards and costs, negotiating and identifying what is most profitable.

Question 27

what happens during the commitment stage?

Answer 27

as time goes on, the sources of costs and rewards become more predictable and the relationship becomes more stable as rewards increase and costs lessen.

Question 28

what happens during the institutionalisation stage?

Answer 28

during the institutionalisation stage, the partners are now settled down because the norms of the relationship, in terms of rewards and costs, are firmly established.

Question 29

what is the equity theory?

Answer 29

the equity theory is an economic theory of how relationships develop. As such, it acknowledges the impacts of rewards and costs on relationship satisfaction, but criticises sociual exchange for ignoring the central role of equity - the perception that partners have about whether the distribution of rewards and costs in the relationship is fair.

Question 30

what is the equity theory?

Answer 30

the equity theory is an economic theory of how relationships develop. As such, it acknowledges the impacts of rewards and costs on relationship satisfaction, but criticises sociual exchange for ignoring the central role of equity - the perception that partners have about whether the distribution of rewards and costs in the relationship is fair.

Question 31

economic theory was developed in response to …

Answer 31

it was developed in response to a significant criticism of social exchange theory. SET fails to take into account the need most people have for balance rather than profit in a relationship.