Theories of Relationships - SOCIAL EXCHANGE THEORY

Question 1

What is social exchange theory?

Answer 1

• Theory of how relationships form and develop.
• Based on idea that romantic partners exchange rewards and costs.
• Committed relationships rewards exceed costs.
• The exchange comes from the assumption that when people receive rewards from others they feel obliged to reciprocate.

Question 2

Who came up with the Minimax Principle

Answer 2

Thaibaut & Kelley (59)

Question 3

What is the minimax principle?

Answer 3

Assumes that people try to maximise the rewards and minimise the costs.

Question 4

Rewards and costs are…

Answer 4

• Subjective
• May change over the course of the relationship

Question 5

Examples of rewards

Answer 5

• Companionship
• Emotional support
• Sex

Question 6

Examples of costs

Answer 6

• Time
• Stress
• Energy

Question 7

The comparison level

Answer 7

Based on a person’s idea of how much reward they think they deserve to recieve in a relationship.

Subjective & depends on:
- Previous relationships
- Socialisation
- Cultural Norms
- Reinforced by books & TV

Question 8

Comparison Level (CL) AO1

Answer 8

• Measures of profit
• Deserve
• Experience
• Social Norms
• Media, books, films, etc
• Self esteem

Question 9

When will people consider the relationship worth pursuing?

Answer 9

When the comparison level is equal to or higher than their expectations.

Question 10

Comparison level for alternatives (CLalt)

Answer 10

• The idea that you could do better.
• Used to give context to a current relationship.
• Concerns a persons perception of whether other potential relationships would be more rewarding.

Question 11

Comparison Level for Alternatives (CLalt) AO1

Answer 11

• Measures of profit
• Monogamous
• Current relationship
• Outweigh

Question 12

Why does SET believe we will stay in a current relationship?

Answer 12

• If we see it to be more rewarding or profitable than the alternatives.
• If costs of current relationship are greater than rewards, we will notice alternatives or assume that the grass is greener on the other side.
• If we are satisfied, we may not even notice any alternatives.

Question 13

4 stages of SET

Answer 13

• Sampling
• Bargaining
• Commitment
• Institutionalisation

Question 14

Sampling stage

Answer 14

Explore rewards and costs of SE by experimenting own relationships or observing others.

Question 15

Bargaining stage

Answer 15

Marks beginning of a relationship when partners start exchanging rewards and costs identifying what is profitable

Question 16

Commitment stage

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Institutionalisation stage

Answer 17

Partners settled down because norms of the relationship are established

Question 18

Evaluation points for SET

Answer 18

• Direction of cause and effect
  –> measure our profit levels constantly because they are always changing.
• Concepts are hard to quantify
  –> Because so subjective. Not everyone’s costs and rewards are the same and they can change over time.
• Explains all relationships
  –> All relationships have costs & bens. Work is much more of an exchange, friendship & relationship more compromise & sacrifice.
• Potential gender differences
• Real life application
  –> Rewards and costs - speaking to partner to save relationship. Weigh up staying with therapist.
• Individualistic cultures
  –> Equal relationships = exchange. Impact of feminism = social changes.
• Traditional collectivist cultures
  –> social changes = costly relationships (what they expect)

Question 19

AO3 - Direction and cause of effect

Answer 19

P- a weakness of SET is that there is no direction of cause and effect.
E - Argyle said we don’t assess our relationship till we are dissatisfied.
E - SET argues that dissatisfaction sets in when we suspects that costs outweigh rewards or that alternatives are more attractive, when this occur the other way round.
L - this is a weakness because SET assumes looking at profit and loss throughout the whole relationship is how they are maintained.

Question 20

AO3 - SET ignores equity

Answer 20

P - a weakness of SET is that ignores how relationships need fairness.
E - CL ignores what the other person in the relationship feels that they deserve.
E - much research for the role of equity in relationships which is more important that the balance of rewards and costs, it only looks at one person.
L - neglect of this factor means that SET is limited explanation, cannot account for significant proportion of the research.

Question 21

AO3 - Inappropriate assumptions underlying SET

Answer 21

P - there are inappropriate assumptions under SET.
E- Clarke and Mills found that cost and reward is true for work interactions, but untrue for romantic relationships.
E - this is because rewards are distributed freely and not tallied.
L - weakened validity for SET as it can only explain a limited range of social relationships.