Social Exchange Theory

• What type of theory is SET?

  An economic exchange theory
• SET considers how partners exchange rewards and costs and assumes those who offer rewards are attractive and those who are perceived to involve great cost are less attractive
• What did Thibaut and Kelley's 4 stage model include


  1. Sampling (analysing potential rewards and costs of starting a relationship with someone)
  2. Bargaining (testing phase to see if a deeper relationship is worth it)
  3. Commitment (sampling + bargaining reduced, attraction to partner will increase if costs are reduced)
  4. Institutionalisation (norms developed, expectations of R and C established)
• SET uses Comparison level and Comparison level for alternatives, what are these?

  Comparison level- based on a persons idea of how much reward they deserve to receive (based on previous relationships and self esteem)

  Comparison level for alternatives- a persons perception of whether other potential relationships (or being alone) would be more rewarding than being in their current relationship
• SET says that relationships that benefit both parties will succeed whereas relationships that are imbalanced will fail
• What did Clark and Mills say about SET?


  It explains exchange (business) relationships, but not communal (romantic), where other factors (e.g. investment (which the model does not consider), may play more of a part
• What did Miller suggest about SET?


  Miller suggested that it isn't that having a low CL of alternatives which causes satisfaction- it could be the other way round (direction of causation can be questioned) They found that people in committed relationships rated photos of attractive people as less attractive than people who weren't in a relationship did- criticising the premise of the model
• What did Lott say about SET?


  Lott found that women in collectivist cultures were prepared to give more than they received, criticising the model
• What did Gottman and Levenson suggest about the affect of SET in real life?


  Gottman and Levenson suggested that the positive : negative ratio in successful marriages is 5:1- so in relationship counselling, people could be encouraged to have more positive interactions with each other- so the principles of SET could have the potential to aid floundering relationships
• Rewards and costs are subjective, meaning there is a wide range of possible outcomes- what one partner may consider a huge reward, the other may not think of a big deal
• Rewards include things like companionship, sex and emotional support
• Costs include things like time, stress and energy
• How is Comparison level used to measure the profit of a romantic relationship?

  We consider a relationship worth pursuing if our CL is high. There is also a link to self-esteem: high SE= high CL which means they believe they are worth a lot more compared to someone with low CL= satisfied on gaining a small profit
• How is CL for alternatives used as a measure of profit?

  SET predicts that we will stay in our current relationship only so long as we believe it is more rewarding than alternatives (e.g. could we gain better rewards and fewer costs from other relationships/ being single)
• Reductionist Approach

  Critics argue that SET oversimplifies complex human relationships by reducing them to mere cost-benefit analyses, neglecting the influence of emotions and irrational factors
• Ethical Considerations

  The focus on self-interest and exchange may promote a transactional view of relationships, potentially undermining the importance of altruism and genuine emotional bonds
• Recognises a needed balance of Individual Needs

  The theory emphasizes the importance of balancing individual needs and interests within a relationship. It acknowledges that people seek relationships that provide personal benefits while minimizing drawbacks