Equity theory

why was equity theory developed

in response to criticism about SET that the balance is important in relationships

what did Walster say

both partner’s level of profit is the same

it is about percieved fairness and having equity in the relationship

the ratio of cost/ reward that matters (the balance)

definition of equity

recognising that each person has different circumstances and allocated the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome

definition of equality

means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome

briefly outline what is meant by equity in relation to theories of romantic relationships

Economic model of relationships based on the idea of fairness for each partner; emphasises the need for each partner to experience a balance between their costs/effort and their benefit/reward

consequences with inequity in relaitonships

• can lead to distressed/ dissatisfied partner

• the greater the percieved inequity, the greater the dissatisfaction

• can be restored if dealt with

what are the evaluation points

1. supporting research evidence 

2. cultural biased

3. ignores individual differences  

4. not generalisable

evaluation - supporting research evidence

P: a strength of Equity theory is that it is supported by research evidence

E: Utne et al studies 118 recently married couples using self-report scales to measure equity. They found that couples who percieved their relationship as equitable were more satisfied than those who felt overbenefitted or underbenefitted 

E: this supports the theory’s prediction that fairness leads to higher relationship satisfaction 

L: therefore equity theory has empirical backing that increases its validity as an explanation of romantic relationships 

evaluation - cultural bias

P: One limitation is that the importance of equity is not universal across all cultures

E: Aumer-Ryan found that individuals in individualistic cultures preferred equitable relationships, whereas collectivist cultures were most satisfied when they were over benefitting 

E: this shows that cultural norms influence what people percieve as a satisfying relationship

L: therefore equity theory lacks cross cultural validity and cannot be generalised to all relationship types 

evaluation - individual differences

P: another limitation is that people differ in how much they care about equity 

E: Huseman et al found that ‘benevolents’ are comfortable giving more than they receive while ‘entitleds’ prefer to be over benefitted

E: this means that equity is not valued equally by all partners in romantic relationships.

L: Therefore, the theory cannot explain all relationship dynamics and is not universally applicable.

evaluation - not generalisable

P: Equity Theory may not apply consistently to all types of relationships.

E: Clark and Mills (2011) found that equity is important in friendships and workplace relationships but less consistently linked to satisfaction in romantic relationships.

E: This suggests partners in romantic relationships may not monitor fairness in the same way as in non-romantic contexts.

L: Therefore, Equity Theory may oversimplify romantic behaviour and lacks explanatory power in intimate partnerships.