AO1 SET

• Who described romantic relationships using economic terminology in 1959?

  Thibaut and Kelly
• What do Thibaut and Kelly claim partners in relationships strive to maximize?

  Rewards such as companionship, praise, emotional support, and sex
• According to Thibaut and Kelly, what do partners in relationships aim to minimize?

  Costs such as stress, arguments, compromises, and time commitments
• How are the notions of rewards and costs described by Thibaut and Kelly characterized?

  They are subjective and can vary from person to person
• What happens to the perception of costs as relationships develop, according to Thibaut and Kelly?

  Costs tend to seem less significant over time
• What is the first level of comparison proposed by Thibaut and Kelly?

  Comparison Level (CL)
• What does the Comparison Level (CL) represent in Thibaut and Kelly's theory?

  A person's idea of how much reward they deserve in relationships
• What influences a person's Comparison Level (CL) according to Thibaut and Kelly?

  Previous romantic experiences and cultural norms
• What is the second level of comparison in Thibaut and Kelly's theory?

  Comparison Level for alternatives (CLalt)
• What does the Comparison Level for alternatives (CLalt) concern?

  A person's perception of whether other potential relationships would be more rewarding
• According to Social Exchange Theory, when will people stick to their current relationships?


  As long as they find them to be more profitable than the alternatives
• What might happen if a comparable partnership seems more profitable?

  An individual is less likely to remain dependent on their current relationship for satisfaction
• What do some psychologists, like Duck (1994), suggest about content individuals in relationships?

  They may not notice other available alternatives
• What are the stages of relationship development according to Thibaut and Kelly?

  1. Sampling stage: Exploring potential rewards and costs through experience or observation
  2. Bargaining stage: Exchanging rewards and costs, negotiating relationship dynamics
  3. Commitment stage: Relationships become stable, partners understand rewards and costs
  4. Institutionalisation stage: Costs and rewards are well established
• What did Floyd et al. (1994) find about commitment in relationships?


  Commitment develops when couples feel satisfied and perceive alternatives as unavailable
• According to Argyle (1987), when do people start assessing their relationships?

  Rarely before they feel unsatisfied with them
• What may lead a person to question the rewards and costs in their relationship, according to Argyle?

  Being unhappy in the relationship
• How does Argyle's view contradict Social Exchange Theory (SET)?

  SET assumes that profit and loss assessment occurs even in happy relationships, while Argyle suggests it happens only after dissatisfaction