social exchange theory

Social exchange theory

Thibaut and Kelley 1959

Rewards-costs=outcome

Commitment dependent upon profitability

Economic theory

Maximise profits and minimise costs

Thibaut and Kelley 1959

Maximise rewards they obtain and minimise the costs

When people receive rewards from others they feel obliged to reciprocate

Rewards

Companionship

Intimacy

Costs

Missed opportunities

Time

Money

4 stage model

Sampling

Bargaining

Commitment

Institutionalisation

Sampling explore rewards and costs in a variety of relationships

Bargaining

Negotiates and agrees the rewards and costs

Marks start of relationship where partners start to exchange

Commitment

Settles into relationship and exchange of reward becomes predictable

Institutionalisation

Norms and expectations are firmly established

Comparison level

how we measure profit in a romantic relationship

How much reward you believe you deserve to get

Comparison level for alternatives

Duck 1994

If we believe we could gain a greater reward from another relationship

Sprecher 2001

Longitudinal study of 101 couples

Found CLT ALT was most importent variable in relationship satisfaction

Showed CLT ALT was negatively correlated with satisfaction and commitment to the relationship

If commitment is high then alternatives are low and vice versa