Social Exchange Theory

• What type of model SET?

  Economic model

  ---> Series of exchanges aiming to balance cost and reward
• What did Thibault and Kelly suggest?

  Romantic relationships are economic.

  Each partner wants to maximise rewards/profits and minimise cost/losses in a relationship
• Rewards and Costs

  Both partners look mutually for beneficial arrangements results in stable and successful relationship

  • Reward - entertainment, sex, emotional support ---> maximise
  • Cost - stress, compromises, financial security ---> minimise

  Rewards and costs are more/less important to different people
• Comparison Level (CL) - 1st Level

  Based on persons idea of how much reward they deserve in a relationship. Based on 2 aspects:

  • Ideals - perception of perfect relationship ---> based on books etc
  • Experiences - what previous partners had to offer
• Comparison Level for Alternatives (CLalt) - 2nd Level

  Whether or not other potential relationships would be more rewarding than current relationship

  Higher profit with someone else = original relationship will end
• Stages of relationship

  1. Sampling - exploring potential rewards and costs of relationship
  2. Bargaining - partners exchange costs, figure out most profitable exchange
  3. Commitment - partners are familiar with rewards and costs = rewards increase and costs decrease
• What did Rusbult find?


  Questionnaire with 17 males and 17 females. Questions included costs, rewards, investments and comparison with alternatives

  • Cost and benefit were considered as relationship developed
  • Cost and benefit considered against alternatives who became less attractive which increased commitment

  Supports SET ---> CLalt and stages in relationship
• What did Spreecher find?

  101 couples

  • CL for alternatives were a strong predictor of commitment
  • Rewards were a strong predictor of satisfaction
• Limitation of Social Exchange Theory

  Reductionist

  Limits the range of real life romantic experiences. SET doesn't explain why people stay in abusive relationships despite lack of rewards

  Suggests theory is too simplified doesn't account for all relationships
• Limitation of Social Exchange Theory

  Difficult to define

  Rewards and costs are highly subjective. E.g. one may find lots of praise from partner rewarding whilst other sees this as annoying (cost)

  Difficult to measure cost and reward
• Strength of Social Exchange Theory

  Supporting evidence for CL and stages in relationship

  Rusbult ---> Stages

  Spreecher ---> CL

  Increases validity