Equity theory

Question 1

Why was the equity theory developed?

Answer 1

• In response to the social exchange theory. It criticises it because it fails to take into account the need people have for balance than profit.

Question 2

What is equity?

Answer 2

• It means fairness, both partners level of profit is the same.
• NOT the same as equality where costs and rewards have to be the same
• EG: one partner may earn more money (input), while the other does more housework (input), and both feel the exchange is fair (output = financial security, emotional support, etc.).

Question 3

What does it mean to over-benefit and under-benefit?

Answer 3

• Over-benefit > One person receives more than they contribute so they may get more attention, affection, financial support, effort, etc. This leads to feelings of guilt, discomfort, shame.
• Under-benefit > One person gives more than they receive, putting in more time, emotional support, resources, etc without getting same level of effort back. This leads to feelings of anger, hostility, resentment.
• Greater inequity = greater dissatisfaction

Question 4

How does someone deal with a relationship where there is inequity?

Answer 4

• Changes in perceived equity > at the start, it may feel normal to contribute more than you receive but eventually, it won’t feel as satisfying as early days
• Realignment > To deal with it, the under-benefitted partner motivated to make the RS more equitable as long as it is possible to do so and that the RS is salvageable. They can also revise their perception of rewards/costs.
• Distribution > Trade-offs and compensations are negotiated to achieve fairness in a relationship; each has their own role.

Question 5

Equity theory: Research support

Answer 5

• Evidence from studies of real-world relationships that confirm equity theory as a more valid explanation than SET.
• Mary Utne et al. (1984) carried out a survey of 118 recently-married couples, measuring equity with two self-report scales. Participants were aged between 16 and 45 years and had been together for more than two years before marrying.
• Found that couples who considered their relationship equitable were more satisfied than those who saw themselves as overbenefitting or underbenefitting.
• Confirms that equity is a major concern of romantic couples and is linked with satisfaction.

Question 6

Equity theory: Contradictory evidence

Answer 6

• Daniel Berg and Kristen McQuinn (1986) found that equity did not increase over time, as would also be predicted by the theory. Nor did the researchers find that relationships which ended and those which continued differed in terms of equity, a further prediction of equity theory.
• Other variables were significantly more important.
• This undermines the validity of equity theory because equity does not play the role in relationship (dis)satisfaction that is predicted.

Question 7

Equity theory: cultural limitations

Answer 7

• Katherine Aumer-Ryan et al. (2007) found that there are cultural differences in the link between equity and satisfaction.
• Couples from an individualist culture (US) considered their relationships to be most satisfying when the relationship was equitable, whereas partners in a collectivist culture (Jamaica) were most satisfied when they were overbenefitting.
• This was true of both men and women, so cannot be explained by gender differences.
  This suggests that the theory is limited because it only applies to some cultures

Question 8

Equity theory: Individual differences

Answer 8

• Not all partners in romantic relationships are concerned about achieving equity.
• Richard Huseman et al. (1987) suggest that some people are less concerned about equity than the ‘norm’. They describe some partners as benevolents, who are prepared to contribute more to the relationship than they get out of it (underbenefit). Others are entitleds who believe they deserve to overbenefit and accept it without feeling distressed or guilty. In both cases such individuals have less concern about equity than the theory predicts.
• This shows that a desire for equity varies from one individual to another and is not a universal feature of romantic relationships.