Social exchange theory

Who invented social exchange theory?

Thibault + Kelley (1959)

What did Thibault + Kelley (1959) do?

Invented social exchange theory

3 parts of social exchange theory

-Rewards, costs + profits

-Stages of development

-Measurement of profit

What is

-Rewards, costs + profits

-Stages of development

-Measurement of profit

3 parts of social exchange theory

What do Thibault + Kelley (1959) suggest relationships reflect?

Economic assumptions of exchnage

Try to minimise loses and maximise gains

What is

Economic assumptions of exchnage

Try to minimise loses and maximise gains

What Thibault + Kelley (1959) suggest relationships reflect

How do ppl judge satisfaction in a relationship?

Profit

Rewards - costs

What are rewards in a relationship?

Sex, companionship, love

What is

Sex, companionship, love

Rewards in a relationship

What are costs in a relationship?

Time, money, energy, stress

What is

Time, money, energy, stress

Costs in a relationship

People are fundamentally

selfish

Relationship will only continue if partner feels they’re getting more than they’re putting in

What is the only way a relationship will continue in social exchnage theory?

If partner feels they’re getting more than they’re putting in

coz ppl r fundamentally selfish

Do rewards and costs change?

Yes

As relationship continues, smth initially rewarding or costly might become more or less

Relationships can be expansive

Opportunity cost

Investment in time + energy, cant invest this elsewhere

What is

Opportunity cost

Investment in time + energy, cant invest this elsewhere

How a relationship can be expensive

Coz relationships based on profit,

net profit brings positive outcome

net loss brings negative outcomes

4 stages of development in social exchange theory

1. Sampling

2. Bargaining

3. Commitment

4. Institutionalisation

What is

1. Sampling

2. Bargaining

3. Commitment

4. Institutionalisation

4 stages of development in social exchange theory

What is sampling?

Partners compare possible costs + benefits of new relationship thru direct + indirect interactions

Compare to other relationships

What is

Partners compare possible costs + benefits of new relationship thru direct + indirect interactions

Compare to other relationships

Sampling

What is bargaining?

Partners exchange costs + benefits

Negotiate + identify what is most profitable

What is

Partners exchange costs + benefits

Negotiate + identify what is most profitable

Bargaining

What is commitment?

Relationship is stable + maintained by predictable exchange of rewards

What is

Relationship is stable + maintained by predictable exchange of rewards

Commitment

What is institutionalisation?

Partners settled down w/ established norms of rewards + costs

What is

Partners settled down w/ established norms of rewards + costs

Institutionalisation

What are the 2 ways profit is measured in relationships?

Comparison level

Comparison level of alternatives

What is

Comparison level

Comparison level of alternatives

2 ways profit is measured in relationships

What is comparison level?

Amount of rewards you believe you deserve

3 things it’s influenced by:

-experience of previous relationships

-social norms

-self-esteem

Only consider relationship worth pershing if comparison level is high

What is

Amount of rewards you believe you deserve

3 things it’s influenced by:

-experience of previous relationships

-social norms

-self-esteem

Only consider relationship worth pershing if comparison level is high

Comparison level

3 things that influnce comparison level

-experience of previous relationships

-social norms

-self-esteem

What is

-experience of previous relationships

-social norms

-self-esteem

3 things that influnce comparison level

How does experience of previous relationships affect comparison level?

Feeds into expectations of current relationship

More data to set level to

Through more experience of social norms + relationships,

comparison level changes coz more data to set it with

What is

Feeds into expectations of current relationship

More data to set level to

How experience of previous relationships affects comparison level

How do social norms affect comparison level?

Determine what is a reasonable level of reward

What is

Determine what is a reasonable level of reward

How social norms affect comparison level

How does self esteem effect comparison level?

Low self esteem = low comparison level, satisfied with low profit

High self esteem = high comparison level, won’t settle

What is

Low self esteem = low comparison level, satisfied with low profit

High self esteem = high comparison level, won’t settle

How self esteem effects comparison level

What is comparison level of alternatives?

Including wider context of relationship

Wether or not you believe another relationship or being single would have higher rewards and lower costs

Only stay in relationship as long as you believe it’s better than alternatives

What is

Including wider context of relationship

Wether or not you believe another relationship or being single would have higher rewards and lower costs

Only stay in relationship as long as you believe it’s better than alternatives

Comparison level of alternatives

What 2 things have been suggested to extend understanding of social exchnage theory?

Dependance

Barriers

What is

Dependance

Barriers

2 things that have been suggested to develop understanding of social exchange theory

What is dependance?

How much you feel dependant on your partner to feel satisfied in a relationship

If you feel you’d get less satisfaction from another relationship, dependant

If you’re dependant but partner isnt, power imbalance

What is

How much you feel dependant on your partner to feel satisfied in a relationship

If you feel you’d get less satisfaction from another relationship, dependant

If you’re dependant but partner isnt, power imbalance

Dependance

If you’re dependant on your partner but they’re not dependant on you

there’s a power imbalance

When is a person dependant?

If they don’t believe they’d gw more satisfaction from an alternative

What is barriers?

Certain factors make you more dependant on your partner

Increase costs of ending relationship

2 types:

external = economic, legal + wider pressures

internal = beliefs eg: marriage should be permanent, kids needs both parents

What is

Certain factors make you more dependant on your partner

Increase costs of ending relationship

2 types:

external = economic, legal + wider pressures

internal = beliefs eg: marriage should be permanent, kids needs both parents

Barriers

What do barriers do?

Increase costs of ending relationship

2 types of barriers

Internal = beliefs eg: marriage should be permanent, kids needs both both parents

External = economic, legal + wider pressures

4 limitations of social exchange theory

Hard to quantify concepts

Assumed all relationships are exchange based

Direction of effect

Research support uses artificial tasks

Limitation of social exchange theory - Hard to quantify concepts

P: Hard to quantify concepts

E: Rewards defined superficially but psychological rewards are more diffcult to define and vary from person to person

C: Hard to quantify makes it hard to produce valid supporting research

Limitation of social exchnage theory - Assumed all relationships are exchange based

P: Assumed all relationships are exchange based

E: Clark + Mills (2011) argue that exchange relationships eg: work colleagues may involve profit but communal relationships eg: romantic involve giving + receiving of rewards WITHOUT thinking of profit

C: Social exchnage not good explanation for all relationships

Limitation of social exchange theory - Direction of effect

P: Direction of effect

E: Assumes dissatisfaction occurs when costs outweigh profits or alternatives become more attractive but Miller found ppl in committed relationships spent less time looking at images of attractive ppl. Less time looking was a good predictor of outcome of relationship in next months

C: May have wrong direction of effect. Consider profits only when dissatisfied in relationship

Limitation of social exchange theory - Research support uses artificial tasks

P: Research support uses artificial tasks

E: One common procedure involves strangers working together on scenario where rewards + costs r distributed. Not real relationship + performance depends on task. More realistic studies were less supportive of social exchange theory

C: Social exchange theory cant account for properties of relationship that emerge eg: trust