Social Exchange Theory^ Flashcards
Theories of Romantic Relationships
all theories are examples of economic theories
Thibault & Kelly
economic theory
considers how parties act out of self-interest and exchange rewards and costs
Minimax Principle
try to minimise cost and maximise rewards
satisfying and committed relationship is maintain when rewards exceeds costs for both parties
Rewards, Costs & Profit
rewards - cost = relationship satisfaction
rewards/costs are subjective
can vary between people/relationships
can change during a relationship
Examples of Rewards
emotional support
feeling of belonging
quality time
physical affection
Examples Of Cost
stress
mental health issues
trust/commitment problems
disloyalty
Comparison Level (CL)
amount of rewards you believe you deserve
based on previous relations. and social norms
high CL = worthy relationship
high self-esteem = high CL
Comparison Level for Alternatives
compare the rewards/costs from current relations to possible one and being alone
stay in relations. as long as we believe it better than the alternatives
Duck
- CLalt depends on state of current relations
- alternative more attractive if in the current relations. has moer costs than rewards
Stages of Relationship Development
Sampling (before)
Bargaining (beginning)
Commitment (short term/honeymoon)
Institutionalisation (long term)
Sampling Stage
before relationship
explore rewards and cost of social exchange
by experimenting in all relations
or by observing others doing so
Bargaining Stage
beginning
start exchanging many rewards and cost, negotiating and identifying whats more profitable
Commitment Stage
short term/ honeymoon
with time the source of rewards/cost become predictable
relations. become more stable with more rewards and less costs
Institutionalisation Stage
long term
partners are settled because of relations. norms
rewards and costs are established
Research Support
Kurdek
investigated importance of SE factors in determining relations. quality
185 different couple types with no kids
questionnaire
More satisfaction associated with the perception of benefits
- alternative has less = less attractive
VS Research Support
all research ignores equity
addressed by equity theory
lots of support for equity in relations.
more important than the balance of rewards and costs
Direction of Cause & Effect
according to SET, we become disatisfied when relations. is no longer profitable
and alternative are more attractive
Argyle
- argued VS, that we don’t start looking at the rewards/costs until we are dissatisfied
Cost and alternatives are caused by dissatisfaction
Vague Concepts
Concepts of SET are difficult to quantify
Rewards/costs are superficial
Psy. r/c are more difficult to define
Also vary between people
Comparison levels are problematic
Unclear what the values of CL and CLalt before dissatisfaction
Different Relationships
Clark & Mills
SET fails to distinguish between types of relationship
Exchange relations (work) involved social exchange
Communal relations. are characterised by giving and receiving gifts without keeping score
If we do keep score then their commitement should be questioned
Low generalisability
