equity theory

what does equity mean? (2)

• fairness in regards to how much rewards and costs each partner gets out of relationship

• must be equal or won’t be perceived as fair and therefore less satisfaction

satisfaction is about..

perceived fairness

what are the consequences of inequality?

the partner who puts a lot into the relationship but gets little out of it will become distressed and dissatisfied

• the greater the perceived inequality, the greater the dissatisfaction

what are the ways in which we can deal with inequality?

• try to improve things - partner putting in less will work hard to make relationship more equitable

• one partner changes their outlook on what a cost is - this makes relationship more equitable to them

what is the issue with equity being hard to measure?

• a lot of input in relationships is subjective - emotional and unquantifiable

• if can’t measure, there is no scientific evidence

• therefore theory has low internal validity and not full explanation

what cultural bias is present?

• concept of equity is more important in western cultures than non-western cultures

• people in western cultures claimed to be most satisfied with relationships when were over-benefitting from it, not when relationship was fair

• theory doesn’t explain development of romantic relationships in all cultures