Social Exchange Theory

• Social Exchange Theory


  A theory that explains how relationships are formed and developed. It measures the reward-cost benefit of a relationship.

  It is assumed that when the rewards outweigh the costs, a relationship is maintained and a stable point is achieved.
• Thibault and Kelley


  • Behaviour in relationships reflect economic exchange in relationships
  • Rewards include companionship, sex and support
  • However, rewards and costs can be subjective
  • Opportunity cost - your investment of time and energy into the current relationship means that resources cannot be used to invest elsewhere
• Comparison level

  • amount of reward that we believe that we deserve as a result of the investment we give into a relationship
  • develops from experiences in our previous relationships
  • also influenced by social norms
  • we consider if a r.s. is worth pursuing if our C.L. is high, and this is directly linked with self-esteem
  • e.g. someone with a high self esteem believes that they are worth a lot more
• Comparison level for alternatives


  • provides a wider context for the relationship
  • do we believe that we could get greater rewards and fewer costs from our current relationship?
  • SET suggests that we only stay in relationships if we believe that the alternatives are less rewarding.
• Sprecher

  • longitudinal study on 101 USA university students
  • found that the relationship exchange variable most linked to commitment was comparison level for alternatives
  • if CLA was high, relationship satisfaction would be low
• Kurdek

  • gay, heterosexual, lesbian couples did a questionnaire
  • found that partners who were most committed also perceived the most rewards and the fewest costs
  • also viewed alternatives as highly unattractive which confirms the SET theory in a variety of relationships
• Hard to classify

  • hard to classify costs and benefits as they arenot fixed
  • an individual's perception mediates what constitutes as a cost or a benefit
  • what can be seen as "sweet" at the start of a relationship can easily be seen as annoying later on
• Other factors

  • other factors that contribute to our relationships and our perception of rewards and costs
  • individual differences of tolerating a low ratio of benefits to costs
  • some people are easier to please and get enjoymeny from fiving as they may be compromising and/or have a supportive personality
• Contrasting theory

  • equity theory which questions the idea that we need to profit from a relationship, rather, it suggests a balance between what we put into the relationship and what we gain from it
• Rusbult

  • suggests that the SET does not apply to the early stages of a relationship, rather it applies to the relationship maintenance
  • Ps completed questionnaires over a 7 month period about rewards and costs benefit
  • didnt explain honeymoon phase but explained it later on
• Value

  • can be used by couples in counselling to break the negative patterns of behaviour that cause problems
  • intergrated behavioural couples therapy - couples are guided on how to increase the proportion of positive exchange and decrease negative exchange