Social Exchange Theory

• SET is an economic theory of romantic relationships proposed by Thibault and Kelley in 1959
• People in a relationship will aim to minimise losses and maximise their profits (like a business would)
• Rewards, costs and losses are all subjective and depend on an individual
• For a relationship to survive, each partner must be rewarded and gain profit therefore a couple must negotiate the terms of this exchange either directly or through learning
• All relationships will require certain sacrifices which offset the rewards and may lead to a more rewarding relationship
• Costs can de-stabilise a relationship if they lead to arguments/ conflicts
• Comparison levels are used by each partner in a couple to determine the extent to which they are profiting from the relationship
• Comparison levels evolve based on a persons experience of previous relationships (e.g. the amount & quality of rewards received in the past)
• The media is also responsible for informing ideas on peoples comparison levels
• People with high self-esteem will demand better rewards from a relationship
• Comparison levels (alternative) determines whether a new relationship woulf bring more rewards than the current relationship
• the 4 stages of relationship development:

  • Sampling - rewards/costs explored
  • Bargaining - early on they set expectations and start negotiations
  • Commitment - established and both try to maximise profits
  • Institutionalisation - partnership is established
• PEEL 1:

  Weakness - SET makes the incorrect assumption that consideration of alternatives triggers dissatisfaction - however people don;t tend to look at alternative unless they are already at the point of dissfaction.

  • therefore CLs are for when a relationship is breaking down
• PEEL 2:

  Weakness - SET is too basic of a theory to apply to complex human beings - shouldn't apply an artificial economic theorem - lacks ecological validity
• PEEL 3:

  Weakness - hard to measure SET as rewards, costs and profit are subjective

  • limits reliability
• PEEL 4:

  Strength - arguably it is common sense that if cons outweigh pros then the relationship won't be maintained
• PEEL Paragraphs - SET:

  1. Weakness - alternatives dont trigger dissatisfaction
  2. Weakness - too basic
  3. Weakness - hard to measure SET
  4. Strength - arguably common sense