equity theory Flashcards
what is the equity theory?
Equity theory suggests that partners are concerned about fairness in relationships. fairness is acheived when someone feels they are recieving what they deserve in the relationship.
what is the role of equity? walter
According to Walter et al what matters most with equity is that both partners’ level of profit is roughly the same
When there is a lack of equity, then one partner over benefits and the other under benefits from the relationship, and from this arises dissatisfaction and unhappiness.
however equity doesn’t mean equality:
It is not about the number of rewards and costs , but rather about the balance between them. if a person puts a lot into a relationship and receives a lot, it will feel fair to them. it is perfectly normal for many people to put in more than they receive at the beginning of a relationship, but if it carries on like that for too long, it will lead to dissatisfaction.
evaluation: strength
research findings
utne self report
support the importance of equity in relationships.
Utne et al used self report scales to measure equity and satisfaction in recently married couples
118 participants, aged between 16 and 45 and together for 2 years or more before marrying.
the study found that partners who rated their relationships as more equitable were also more stateside with them
evaluation: strength
research support
stafford and canary
Stafford and Canary also found similar trends. Their study over 200 married couples completed questionnaires on relationship equity and satisfaction and were asked questions about the ways they maintained this relationship e.g dividing chores, communications positively and showing affection for one another
what did stafford and canary study find?
they found that partners who perceived their relationship as fair and balances, followed by spouses who over benefitted from the relationships , experienced the most satisfaction
evaluation : weakness
cultural differences
some cultural differences not accounted for by the equity theory.
studies such as Aumer Ryan et al shows that the concept of equity is more important in Western cultures than non- western cultures .
they found that both men and women from (non western) cultures claimed to be most satisfied then over-benefitting from it.
evaluation : weakness
less sensitive to inequality
van yperen and buunk studies married couples = dissatisfaction in inequitable relationships increased with time. there are some individual differences e.g there are people who are less sensitive to inequity and are prepared to give more (benevolents) and others believe they deserve to be over benefitting.
