social exchange theory

Question 1

what is social exchange theory

Answer 1

a theory of how relationships form and develop through the interaction between two partners each with their own needs and expectations

Question 2

what does the theory assume

Answer 2

that partners act out of self interest in exchanging rewards and costs

Question 3

what type of theory is it

Answer 3

an economic theory which focuses on the rewards that partners obtain from being in a relationship weighed against the costs that they incur

Question 4

what does the theory propose

Answer 4

individuals focus on getting out more than they put in
- individuals who receive favourable reward/cost outcomes are more likely to be satisfied with their relationship and so are less likely to leave it

Question 5

a satisfying and committed relationship is maintained when

Answer 5

rewards exceed costs

Question 6

minimax principle

Answer 6

we try to minimise losses and maximise gains

Question 7

who does the theory suggest were attracted to and put off by

Answer 7

those who offer rewards (fun, attention, esteem etc) and put off a relationship perceived to involve great costs (time, emotional strain etc)
- relationships that are mutually beneficial will succeed

Question 8

rewards and costs are

Answer 8

subjective
- what one person sees as rewarding the other might not be too bothered by
- rewards and costs may change over time eg constant texting at the start may seem nice but becomes a bit much over time

Question 9

rewards - costs =

Answer 9

outcome
- commitment to a relationship is dependant on the profitability of this outcome

Question 10

what is comparison level

Answer 10

the amount of reward you believe you deserve to get
- it develops out of experiences of previous relationships which feeds into our current expectations of the current one

Question 11

what else is comparison level influenced by

Answer 11

social norms that determine what is widely considered within a culture to be a reasonable level of reward

Question 12

how is a relationship considered worthwhile

Answer 12

if we judge that the potential profit in a new relationship exceeds our CL, the other person will be seen as attractive
- if the result is negative then a relationship with that person will be seen as less attractive

Question 13

someone who has previously had very rewarding relationships

Answer 13

would have high expectations for the quality of an future relationships

Question 14

those with low self esteem might

Answer 14

have a lower CL and will therefore be satisfied with gaining just a small profit from a relationship
- may be perfectly happy in a relatively poor relationship

Question 15

what is comparison level for alternatives

Answer 15

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

Question 16

the social exchange theory predicts

Answer 16

we will only stay in a current relationship if we believe it is more rewarding then the alternatives

Question 17

an individual will be committed to their current relationship

Answer 17

when the overall benefits and costs are perceived as being greater than what might be possible in an alternative relationship

Question 18

if these alternative options are more appealing

Answer 18

there will be a temptation for the individual to leave their current relationship and start a new one elsewhere

Question 19

what are the 4 stages of relationship development

Answer 19

1) sampling stage
2) bargaining stage
3) commitment stage
4) institutionalisation stage

Question 20

whats the sampling stage

Answer 20

we explore rewards and costs of social exchange by experimenting with them in our own relationships or by observing others doing so

Question 21

what is the bargaining stage

Answer 21

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

Question 22

what is the commitment stage

Answer 22

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

Question 23

whats the institutionalisation stage

Answer 23

the partners are now settled down because the norms of the relationship (rewards and costs) are now established

Question 24

a strength of this theory is that there is supporting evidence from sprecher

Answer 24

• conducted a longitudinal of 101 dating couples in a US university
• they found that the factor most highly associated with relationship commitment was partners comparison level for alternatives
• the study showed that when the comparison level for alternatives was high, commitment to, and satisfaction with the current relationship tended to be low
• this was the case for both males and females
• this is a strength because sprecher suggests that this is not surprising as those who lack alternatives are likely to remain committed and those who are satisfied and committed to their relationship are more likely to devalue alternatives
• therefore this supports the SET and provides the theory with validity

Question 25

a strength of SET is that it can explain individual differences in relationships

Answer 25

- individuals have different perceptions about how beneficial their current relationship is due to their differing comparison level and comparison level for alternatives - SET explains why an individual may stay in an abusive relationship because the cost of leaving such as fear, financial problems, losing children is greater than the cost of staying - this is a strength of the theory as it explains why people maintain a relationship even when the benefits or positive feeling arent present - therefore SET has high explanatory power as it deals with factors that other theories cannot explain

Question 26

a limitation of SET is that some of its assumptions are not appropriate

Answer 26

- SET assumes that relationships are economic in nature (exchange of rewards, costs, profit and loss) - it assumes that there is constant monitoring to determine levels of satisfaction - SET claims that these concepts apply to all relationships - clark and mills argue that we cannot apply this to romantic relationships as romantic partners do not keep score because if they did then this would destroy the trust that underlies a close emotional relationship - this is a limitation because perhaps the whole of what this theory is based on (rewards and costs) is flawed - therefore, limiting its validity as a theory of romantic relationships

Question 27

a limitation of the SET is that it is culturally bias

Answer 27

- the theory implies that we are self centered and will only maintain romantic relationships if the benefits outweigh the costs - however not all relationships are voluntary (some arranged marriages) - consequently it may not be possible for an individual to withdraw from such a relationship even if the perceived costs outweigh the benefits - this is a limitation as SET might not be a valid explanation of relationship maintenance in all cultures - therefore this theory should only be used to explain relationships in an individualistic culture as it would not be valid to try and use it to explain relationships in other cultures where arranged marriages might occur