Theories of romantic relationships: Equity Theory Flashcards
What is the Equity Theory?
The Equity Theory suggests that relationship satisfaction is at its highest when both partners receive fairness in the relationship. People expect the reward they get from a relationship to be roughly equal to the contribution they make to it. That is, relationships should be equitable and rewards and costs are balanced.
Who proposed the Equity Theory?
Walster
Lack of Equity
Lack of equity can result in relationship dissolution. People who are under-benefiting may feel resentful and angry whereas those who are over-benefiting may feel guilty and uncomfortable. Therefore, equity leads to the most successful relationships.
Perception of Equity
However, perception of equity changes over time. For example, it is perfectly normal for many people to put in more than they receive at the beginning of a relationship, but if this persists for too long, it will lead to dissatisfaction. The longer this feeling of unfairness (lack of equity) goes on, the more likely a couple is to break up.
Dealing with Equity
On the other hand, a partner’s way of dealing with inequity also changes over time. The more unfair the relationship feels, the harder the partner will work until equity is restored or they may revise their perceptions of rewards and costs. For example, what was once seen as a cost (e.g., abuse and infidelity) is now accepted as the norm as the relationship progresses to justify the continuation of the relationship.
Strength
point: There is research supporting the Equity Theory.
evidence: Stafford and Canary surveyed over 200 married couples using questionnaires to assess relationship equity and satisfaction. Their findings showed that partners who perceived their relationships as fair and balanced reported the highest levels of satisfaction. This was followed by those who over-benefited from the relationship, meanwhile those who under-benefited showed the lowest levels of satisfaction.
justification: This increases the credibility of this theory as the findings align with the Equity Theory’s core assumptions that individuals strive for fairness and balance in a relationship to ensure relationship satisfaction, and that perceived inequity leads to dissatisfaction. It emphasises the need for reciprocity and mutual contribution in a relationship instead of individual gain.
Weakness
point: A weakness of the Equity Theory is that it does not account for individual differences in how people perceive fairness as it adopts a nomothetic approach.
evidence: Huseman et al. found that some individuals are less sensitive to inequity and are willing to give more in a relationship without feeling dissatisfied. They identified 2 types of individuals: ‘benevolents’, who are happy to contribute more without expecting equal returns, and ‘entitleds’, who feel that they deserve more from a relationship without feeling guilt. These findings challenge the assumption that fairness is universally important in relationships.
justification: This decreases the level of generalisability of this theory as it assumes that all individuals strive for balance. However, if some people naturally accept or even prefer inequity, this theory fails to explain why and how they maintain relationship satisfaction.
Weakness
point: A weakness of the Equity Theory is that it fails to account for gender differences in how fairness is perceived within relationships.
evidence: Van Yperen and Buunk found that men who over-benefited from their relationships were almost as satisfied as those in equitable marriages. However, women who over-benefited reported lower levels of satisfaction compared to women in equitable relationships.
justification: This lowers the validity and generalisability of this theory as the findings challenge the Equity Theory’s assumption that the principles of fairness and balance apply equally to both genders when women may be more sensitive to relationship fairness than men. There is an element of beta bias, whereby differences between men and women have been minimised considering how they both experience inequity differently, ultimately leading to females’ perception on equity being misunderstood.
Weakness
point: A limitation of the Equity Theory is that it neglects cultural differences.
evidence: Research has shown that preferences for equity and relationship satisfaction vary across cultures. Gergen et al. found that while American students, from an individualist culture, preferred equity, European students showed a preference for equality instead. Similarly, Aumer-Ryan et al. discovered that in non-Western collectivist cultures, both men and women reported greater satisfaction when they over-benefited from the relationship, rather than when it was equitable.
justification: This element of culture bias implies that this theory lacks universality as it assumes that all individuals strive for fairness in relationships when this is not entirely true. In individualist cultures, independence and personal gain are valued, therefore equity may be more important. However, in collectivist cultures, relationships are often based on group harmony and interdependence, therefore equity may not be essential for satisfaction in this culture. Ultimately, this strong influence of Western norms and values limits its generalisability to non-Western cultures.
