theories of romantic relationships: social exchange theory

Question 1

Thibault and Kelly proposed that relationships could be explained in terms of

Answer 1

economics- an exchange of goods

Question 2

social exchange theory (SET) suggests that satisfaction in a relationship is judged in economic terms- partners consider

Answer 2

the profit that a relationship provides them by judging the perceived value of costs minus the value of rewards

Question 3

partners are motivated to try and maximise the profitability of a relationship by

Answer 3

minimising the costs to themselves= MINIMAX PRINCIPLE whilst ensuring that they are getting the best possible amount of rewards

Question 4

relationships where there is judged to be a ____ are most likely to continue; conversely where ____ is low are likely to end

Answer 4

profit

Question 5

what are some examples of costs in a romantic relationship?

Answer 5

• stress
• loss of time
• opportunity cost also needs to be considered: your investment in time and energy in your current relationship means using resources that you cannot use elsewhere

Question 6

what are some examples of rewards in a romantic relationship?

Answer 6

• companionship

- sex

Question 7

what are the 2 ways in which relationship profit is measured?

Answer 7

• comparison level (CL)

- comparison level for alternatives (CLalt)

Question 8

explain how relationship profit can be measured by CL

Answer 8

• CL is our judgement of the reward level that we expect in a relationship
• CL is determined by previous relationships and social norms such as reflections in the media
• we will generally pursue a relationship where the CL is high, although people with very low self-esteem, may have a very low CL level

Question 9

explain how relationship profit can be measured by CLalt

Answer 9

• CLalt involves considering whether we might gain more rewards and endure fewer costs in a different relationship- based on the assumption that in most cultures we select only one partner
• the theory predicts we will remain in a relationship, despite available alternatives, when we consider it more rewarding than the alternatives

Question 10

explain CLalt is dependent on the state of our current relationship

Answer 10

• Duck suggested that there are always alternatives around but if we are in a satisfying relationship we may not even notice them
• however when costs of our current relationships are running high and the profits are low, we then look to alternatives

Question 11

SET also offers a view of the stages a relationship goes through:

Answer 11

1- sampling stage
2- barganing stage
3- commitment stage
4- institutionalisation stage 
= STRONG BLACK COFFEE INJECTION

Question 12

what occurs in sampling stage?

Answer 12

we explore the rewards and costs of a relationship by both experimenting in our own relationships and observing those of others

Question 13

what occurs in bargaining stage?

Answer 13

occurs at the start of a relationship where romantic partners begin to negotiate around costs and rewards

Question 14

what occurs in commitment stage?

Answer 14

relationship becomes more stable and costs reduce and rewards increase

Question 15

what occurs in institutionalisation stage?

Answer 15

partners become settled and the norms of the relationship are established

Question 16

what are the evaluation points for SET?

Answer 16

• deals in concepts that are hard to quantify
• support for SET is often from experiences using artificial tasks and conditions
• assumes all relationships are based on economic exchange (Clark and Mills)
• there are questions about the direction of effect between dissatisfaction and profit (Miller)

Question 17

explain how SET deals in concepts that are hard to quantify

Answer 17

• in research studies, rewards and costs have been operationalised superficially e.g. money, but in reality, psychological rewards and costs are difficult to define and are subjectively judged
• in addition, it is unclear what the values of CL and CLalt must be before dissatisfaction threatens a relationship, and that is a key issue if we are to understand relationship breakdown
• the inability to accurately quantify the key concepts of SET makes it very difficult to produce valid research support

Question 18

support for SET is often from experiences using artificial tasks and conditions

Answer 18

• research is based on game-playing scenarios in which rewards and costs are distributed
• the two ‘partners’ are only together for the purposes of that study
• more realistic studies which have used real partners have been less supportive of SET
• support for SET is weakened by the lack of validity of the studies and the fact that more realistic studies fail to support its assertions

Question 19

explain how SET assumes all relationships are based on economic exchange

Answer 19

• Clark and Mills argue that some relationships are exchanged based e.g. between work colleagues but communal relationships e.g. between romantic partners are marked by the giving and receiving of rewards without the calculation of profit
• indeed at the start of a romantic relationship, such tallying of exchanges might be viewed with some suspicion and even distaste
• this suggests that SET may not provide a suitable explanation for the course of all types of relationships

Question 20

explain how there are questions about the direction of effect between dissatisfaction and profit (Miller)

Answer 20

• SET proposes that we come dissatisfied when costs outweight rewards or alternatives become perceived as more attractive
• Miller found that people who rated themselves as being in a highly committed relationship spent less time looking at images of attractive people
• therefore it is argued that SET assumes the wrong direction of cause and effect- rather than a lack of profit leading to dissatisfaction, it can be argued that we do not consider the profit until after we become satisfied