Social exchange theory Flashcards

1
Q

What is the social exchange theory, according to Thibaut and Kelley 1959

A
  • people try to maximise rewards e.g. attention from a relationship and minimise costs e.g. time, effort
  • if a relationship is to continue, the rewards must not be outweighed by the costs- we should end up in profit (rewards - costs = outcome)
  • but if we are striving to get more and give less, this may result in an unequal relationship
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2
Q

What are the 4 stages long term relationships go through

A
  • sampling
  • bargaining
  • commitment
  • institutionalisation
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3
Q

What is the comparison level

A
  • a standard againsts which all other relationships are judges
  • it is a product of our experiences in other relationships together with our general views of what we expect from this particular exchange
  • if the potential profit in a new relationship exceeds our CL, the relationships will be judges as worthwhile, and the other person will be seen as attractive
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4
Q

A03- problem with social exchange theory

A
  • it is difficult to define what rewards and costs might be as these will differ between people
  • does not explain why some people leave relationships despite having no alternative
  • doesn’t state how great the disparity in comparison level has to be before it is considered unsatisfactory (Pennington, 1986)
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5
Q

AO3- Rusbalt (1983)

A
  • incorporated an additional element into this model
  • commitment to a relationships does not just depend on outcomes and available alternatives, but on the amount of investment e.g. effort, time that has been made
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6
Q

AO3- Hatfield (1979)

A
  • asked newlyweds to assess what they and their partner contributed to the relationship and their level of contentment with the marriage
  • those who were under benfited felt and and deprived
  • those who were over benefited felt guilty and uncomfortable
  • regardless of whether individuals are benefited, they do not desire to maintain a relationship if it is unequal
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7
Q

AO3 Mills and Clark (1980)

A
  • identified 2 kinds of intimate relationship- the communal couple, where each partner fives out concern for the other, and the exchange couple, wjere each keeps mental records of who is ‘ahead’ and who is ‘behind’
  • this indicates there are different types of relationships and SET can be applied to some of them, but not universally all
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