Theories of romantic relationships: social exchange theory SET

Question 1

thibault and kelly

how do we judge the staisfaction in a relationship

Answer 1

the profit it yields= rewards - costs

Question 2

examples of rewards

Answer 2

companionship, sex, emotional support

Question 3

examples of costs

Answer 3

time, energy, compromise

Question 4

what is the minimax principle

Answer 4

maximise gains (rewards) and minismise losses(costs)

Question 5

what is opportunity cost

Answer 5

resourcses you use cannot be used elsewhere e.g. time, energy

Question 6

what is comparison level CL

Answer 6

a persons idea of how much reward they deserve to get.
Develops from previsous relationsips, social/cultural norms and changes overtime, contributing to expectation of CL. Worth pursuing relationship if CL is high

Linked with self esteem:
Low self esteem - low CL
High self esteem - high CL - HIGHER expectation of reward and profit from a relationship

Question 7

What is comparison level for alternatives CLalt

Answer 7

considers whether we could gain greater profit (greater r,less c) from another relationship than their current.

If less profitable, leave
If more profitable remain
if costs greater than rewards alternatives become attractive

Question 8

what are the 4 stages of relationship development

Answer 8

sampling stage - explore potential rewards and costs of relationships by direct experience or observing others.
bargaining stage - beginning of relationship; partners exchange rewards and costs and negotiate
commitment stage - as relationship becomes more stable, they become familiar with expectations and sources of rewrads and costs
institutionalisation stage - costs and rewards are well established and normalised

Question 9

ao3: uses vague concepts that are hard to quantify

Answer 9

SET relies on subjective concepts such as rewards and costs which are hard to measure accurately in real world situations. For example, loyalty could be considererd a reward for many people, but rewards and costs vary from person to person. Having a rewards e.g. loyalty may not be considered a reward for some people.

Theory is difficult to measure in a valid way making research difficult.

Question 10

ao3: research support

Answer 10

Researcher asked heterosexual and same sex couples to complete questionaires on relationship commitment and SET variables - rewrads and costs e.g..
Results showed that partners most commited perceived the most rewards and fewest costs and viewed alternatives as relatively unattractive.

confirms validity of theory in a same sex couples as well as heterosexual couples.

counterpoint: research into SET ignores crucial factor for romantic partners - equity.
What matters is not just the balance of R and C but the partners perceptions whether there fair.

Limited explanation - cannot explain all relationships alone

Question 11

ao3: detreministic view of romantic relationships

Answer 11

according to SET, if costs outweigh rewrards, person will opt out of relationsip. However there are many cases where people stay in high cost relationships, for example when one partner is chronically ill, where they dont feel satisfied.

Predictive validity is limited; it cannot establish certainity whether a person feels happy or unhappy in a relationship based on C and R being recieved.