theories of romantic relationships

Question 1

what is social exchange theory?

Answer 1

a theory which suggests that relationships are maintained through cost-benefit analysis - individuals want to maximise rewards and minimise costs

Question 2

what are the three aspects of social exchange theory?

Answer 2

profit and loss, comparison level, and comparison level for alternatives

Question 3

what is comparison level?

Answer 3

• people compare their relationship to their expectations of the relationship, which are influenced by media, personal, and cultural factors.
• if the comparison is high, the relationship is more likely to be successful
• if the comparison is low, the relationship is less likely to be successful
• when rewards exceed expectations, relationships are valued - if the standard is not met, then the relationship may breakdown

Question 4

what is comparison level for alternatives?

Answer 4

• comparison to other possible relationships
• a high CLalt means that the individual perceives that an alternative relationship offers greater rewards - they are are more likely to leave
• a low CLaft means that the individual perceives that there are no other relationships which offer greater rewards - they are less likely to leave

Question 5

what are the stages of relationship development according to social exchange theory?

Answer 5

1. sampling - exploring rewards and costs in different relationships through observations
2. bargaining - negotiating and testing each partner’s contribution to the relationship
3. commitment - stability develops as rewards increase and costs decrease
4. institutionalisation - norms and expectations are firmly established

Question 6

a strength of social exchange theory is that it has real world applications:

Answer 6

• it can help explain why some women stay in abusive relationships
• rusbult and martz argue that when investments are high and alternatives are low, this could be considered a profit or loss situation
• this demonstrates the importance of psychological research
• counterpoint - this may be reductionist and lead to ethical issues

Question 7

a strength of social exchange theory is that there is supporting research:

Answer 7

• rusbult asked participants to complete questionnaires over a seven month period, concerning rewards and costs with relationships
• this showed that social exchange theory did not explain the early phase of the relationship - however, it did apply to the maintenance of relationships
• rusbult used a longitudinal study, as the same participants were questionned - however, he used self-report methods which are less valid

Question 8

a weakness of social exchange theory is that it is reductionist:

Answer 8

• it focuses too much on the individual’s perspective and ignores the social aspects of a relationship - like communication and shared events
• it focuses on the selfish nature of the theory

Question 9

what is equity theory?

Answer 9

a theory which states that people attempt to achieve fairness in their relationships

Question 10

what are the features of equity theory?

Answer 10

• both partners should gain equally in the relationship - imbalances cause dissatisfaction and unhappiness in the relationship
• fairness is valued, rather than equality - partners must negotiate to maintain satisfaction
• inequity causes distress and dissatisfaction especially if one partner contributes more, but receives less - changes in the level of equity leads to dissatisfaction
• to cope with inequity, individuals may adjust their perceptions of work hard to restore the balance

Question 11

a strength with equity theory is that there is supporting research:

Answer 11

• uthe carried out a survey of 118 married couples - the husbands and wives were 16-45 and married two years after they dated
• researchers found that couples who considered their relationship equitable were more satisfied than those who saw themselves under/over benefitting
• this demonstrates that the equity in relationships is linked to higher satisfaction
• counterpoint - may not apply to all relationships or individuals as a self report method was used

Question 12

a strength of equity theory is that it has real world applications:

Answer 12

• it helps explain common relationship issues and offers practical solutions, like communication to address inequity
• relationship counselling can use equity theory to identify and resolve imbalances
• this highlights the importance of psychological research

Question 13

a weakness of equity theory is that there is contradictory evidence:

Answer 13

• berg and mcquinn found that equity did not increase in dating couples
• they discovered that inequity theory did not distinguish between relationships that ended and those who continued
• so, there may be other factors which effect how relationships develop

Question 14

a weakness of equity theory is that there are gender differences:

Answer 14

• research shows that some men and women are not equally affected by inequity
• women tend to perceive themselves as more under benefited - men are more over benefited in relationships
• this shows that the theory is not universal, and is affected by beta bias

Question 15

what is the investment model?

Answer 15

it is used to understand the dynamics of romantic relationships and focuses on four key components - satisfaction, comparison with alternatives, investment, and commitment

Question 16

what are the four components of the investment model?

Answer 16

satisfaction, comparison to alternatives, investment, and commitment

Question 17

what is satisfaction?

Answer 17

• the extent to which partners feel fulfilled and content in their relationship
• it is influenced by the rewards and costs experienced within a relationship
• high satisfaction occurs when the rewards outweigh the costs

Question 18

what research supports satisfaction?

Answer 18

• rusbult
• examined how satisfaction predicts outcomes in a relationship
• found that the higher the rewards and lower the costs, the higher the relationship satisfaction is

Question 19

what is comparison with alternatives?

Answer 19

• evaluating the potential benefits of alternative relationships or being single
• individuals compare their current relationship to other possible outcomes

Question 20

what research supports comparison with alternatives?

Answer 20

• le and agnew
• a meta-analysis reviewing 52 studies with over 11000 participants
• they found that the quality of alternatives is inversely correlational with commitment
• when individuals perceive better alternatives, their commitment to their current relationship decreases

Question 21

what is investment?

Answer 21

• the resources that individuals put into their relationship
• it can be intrinsic or extrinsic
• the most significant the investments are, the more likely individuals are to stay in the relationships to avoid losing resources

Question 22

what research supports investment?

Answer 22

• le and agnew
• greater investments are associated with high commitment levels
• the study concluded that investments play a crucial role in relationship persistence

Question 23

what is commitment?

Answer 23

• the intention to maintain the relationship over the long term
• it is influenced by the levels of satisfaction, the quality of alternatives, and the amount of investment
• high commitment means that individuals are more likely to work through difficulties

Question 24

what research supports commitment?

Answer 24

• goodfriend and agnew
• they highlighted the importance of future plans as a form of investment
• this increases commitment, as the stakes are higher in the relationship

Question 25

a strength of the investment model is that it can explain aspects of relationships:

Answer 25

* rusbult's model can explain various behaviours in relationships * for example, a person may stay in a relationship even if satisfaction is low, due to the resources invested * this shows that the model has explanatory power, so it is useful

Question 26

a strength of the investment model is that there is supporting evidence:

Answer 26

* each component is supported by empirical support * for example, investment is supported by research from le and agnew's meta-analysis * this means that the study has high internal validity, and information has less risk of being misunderstood

Question 27

a weakness of the investment model is that it is oversimplistic:

Answer 27

* the model oversimplifies the ideas of investment * goodfriend and agnew suggest that investments are more than the resources that are put into a relationship - future plans should also be included * this means that other theories should be included in order to fully understand relationships

Question 28

a weakness of the investment model is that supporting research is correlational:

Answer 28

* strong correlations have been found between all important factors predicted by the investment model * correlation does not imply causation, so most studies do not allow for conclusions * this means that the model should be generalised with caution as there may be other factors effecting findings