Theories Of Remantic Relationships, Social Exchange Theory Flashcards
(15 cards)
What type of theory is SET
An economic theory which calculates relationships in terms of costs and benefits
What are the main assumptions of SET
-Relationships reflect the economic assumptions of exchange
-We try to minimize losses and maximize gains (minimax principle)
Why are benefits and losses difficult to calculate
Subjectivity
-Sex, emotional support
-Investment of time and money
Who created SET
Thibault and Kelly
What are the two ways in which we can evaluate cost and reward
-Comparison level (CL)
-Comparison level alternative (CL-Alt)
Comparison level
-The amount of rewards you believe you deserve based on the comparison of past relationships
-This is also influenced by social norms and the media you consume
-It’s also influenced by a person’s self esteem
Comparison levels alternative
-We only stay in current relationships if we believe it to be more profitable than other relationships
-If the cost of the relationship outweighs the rewards then alternatives with more profile seem more appealing
What are the 4 stages of modelling relationships
-There are 4 stages at which relationships develop
-Sampling stage
-Bargaining stage
-Commitment stage
-Institutionalisation stage
Sampling stage
When we explore the costs and rewards of potential relationships by comparing them to our own or others relationships
Bargaining stage
-The beginning of the relationship where partners start exchanging rewards and costs to test whether the relationship is worthwhile
Commitment stage
-In the later stages of the relationship, rewards and costs become more predictable as rewards increase and costs lessen
Institutionalization stage
The relationship has settled into established patterns and norms when it comes to relationship costs and rewards
Methodological issues, difficult to scientifically research
-Difficult to quantify and objectively measure rewards and costs since they’re subjective to the individual
-Physical rewards are fine to quantify but psychological rewards and costs are not
-How can you compare with other relationships or alternatives if the concepts of reward/cost are so subjective
Contradicting correlational research CL-Alt
-Miller
-People who rated themselves as being in highly committed relationships were less likely to spend time looking at images of attractive people
-Contradicts SET’s claims that we’re always looking for alternatives and only break off the relationship when we’re dissatisfied, instead we only look for alternatives when we’re already dissatisfied
-Direction of cause and effect?
Based on only one type of relationship
-Clark and Mills
-SET fails to distinguish between two types of relationships
-Exchange relationships (work colleagues) works in the way SET predicts
-Communal relationships (friends and romantic) are marked by giving and receiving rewards without keeping the tally of the profit
-SET claims that these reciprocal rewards and costs are monitored but that sort of behavior would lead to partners questioning the commitment of each other at the start of relationships
-Too simplistic, based on faulty assumptions, incomplete theory
