social exchange theory Flashcards
what is social exchange theory
a theory of how relationships form and develop through the interaction between two partners each with their own needs and expectations
what does the theory assume
that partners act out of self interest in exchanging rewards and costs
what type of theory is it
an economic theory which focuses on the rewards that partners obtain from being in a relationship weighed against the costs that they incur
what does the theory propose
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
a satisfying and committed relationship is maintained when
rewards exceed costs
minimax principle
we try to minimise losses and maximise gains
who does the theory suggest were attracted to and put off by
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
rewards and costs are
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
rewards - costs =
outcome
- commitment to a relationship is dependant on the profitability of this outcome
what is comparison level
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
what else is comparison level influenced by
social norms that determine what is widely considered within a culture to be a reasonable level of reward
how is a relationship considered worthwhile
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
someone who has previously had very rewarding relationships
would have high expectations for the quality of an future relationships
those with low self esteem might
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
what is comparison level for alternatives
if we believe we could gain greater rewards and fewer costs from another relationship or from being on our own
the social exchange theory predicts
we will only stay in a current relationship if we believe it is more rewarding then the alternatives
an individual will be committed to their current relationship
when the overall benefits and costs are perceived as being greater than what might be possible in an alternative relationship
if these alternative options are more appealing
there will be a temptation for the individual to leave their current relationship and start a new one elsewhere
what are the 4 stages of relationship development
1) sampling stage
2) bargaining stage
3) commitment stage
4) institutionalisation stage
whats the sampling stage
we explore rewards and costs of social exchange by experimenting with them in our own relationships or by observing others doing so
what is the bargaining stage
this marks the beginning of a new relationship when romantic partners start exchanging various rewards and costs, negotiating and identifying what is most profitable
what is the commitment stage
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
whats the institutionalisation stage
the partners are now settled down because the norms of the relationship (rewards and costs) are now established
a strength of this theory is that there is supporting evidence from sprecher
- 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
a strength of SET is that it can explain individual differences in relationships
- 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
a limitation of SET is that some of its assumptions are not appropriate
- 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
a limitation of the SET is that it is culturally bias
- 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
