Social Exchange Theory Content Flashcards
What did Thibaut and Kelley (1959) suggest about all social behaviour and relationships?
It is a series of exchanges where we try to minimise costs and maximise the rewards of a relationship
- we make judgements on relationships based on what we think the profit level will be
What is the profit level in a relationship based on?
The rewards (what we get out of relationship) and the costs (what we give up/negative feelings from a relationship) in a relationship
Profit = rewards - costs
What are two examples of costs in a relationship?
. Stress due to annoying habits of partner
. Time needed to spend with them
What are two examples of rewards/ benefits in a relationship?
. Companionship
. Feelings of being loved
What kind of theory of human behaviour is SET?
An ‘economic theory’ - commitment to a relationship is dependant on the profitability of the outcome of the relationship.
Therefore, individual looks for more rewards than costs in a relationship
What is opportunity cost in a relationship?
The cost in terms of the lost alternatives e.g the cost of having to spend time with partner will have the opportunity costs of missing time with family/friends
How is profit in a relationship measured subjectively?
Comparison level - the amount of reward you believe you deserve to get
- it is the standard against which our relationships are judged
- you need to see whether someone is profitable against your comparison level (your standard)
Where does our comparison (CL) level come from?
. Experiences of previous relationships
. Social norms - general expectation of what we expect from this social exchange
. Media - books, films, tv programmes
. Idols
How do we judge the potential profit of a relationship using CL?
. If the new relationship would exceed our CL, the relationship is worthwhile
. If the result is negative, the relationship will seem less attractive
How do differing CL levels relate to differing satisfaction levels?
. Low CL = satisfied with just gaining a small profit or even a loss
. High CL = will believe they are worth a lot more and won’t accept a small profit
How do past relationship experiences affect CL level?
. An unpleasant relationship will alter your perception of how profitable a relationship will be and you’ll have a low CL level
. A pleasant relationship raise your CL level as you expect to gain a lot from future relationships
What is an optimal CL level for a solid romantic relationship?
When both partners’ perceived profits are above their CL
What are the four stages of relationship development in SET?
. Sampling stage
. Bargaining stage
. Commitment stage
. Institutionalisation stage
What is the sampling stage in a relationship?
Costs and rewards of the relationship with another are investigated (thinking about your comparison of alternatives)
What is the bargaining stage and why is it important?
Negotiating costs and rewards
- may involve bargaining who does what in each day
You must be flexible for this stage and it is so important in creating stability to keep a relationship developing
What is the commitment stage of relationship development?
As rewards and costs have been bargained, they become more predictable and stable, allowing the focus to turn to the relationship itself
What is the institutionalisation stage of relationship development?
Both partners understand the norms of the relationship as they have been well-established, allowing the relationship to be relaxed and stable
What is our comparison of alternatives?
How we weigh up the potential increase in rewards from another individual minus the costs of ending the current relationship
When does our comparison of alternatives become appealing?
If the cost of our current relationship outweighs the rewards
