SET

• Who proposed the Social Exchange Theory?

  Thibault and Kelley
• What is the minimax principle?

  Where we try to minimise losses and maximise gains
• What is the Social Exchange Theory proposed by Thibault and Kelley?

  Where partners act out of self-interest in exchanging rewards and costs
• Rewards and costs are subjective
• Value of rewards and costs may change over time
• What can rewards include?

  Beneficial things; sex or emotional support
• According to Blau, what can costs include?

  Time, stress, energy, compromise
• What is an opportunity cost?

  Investment of time or energy means using resources you can't invest elsewhere
• What are the two ways we measure profit in a relationship?

  Comparison level

  Comparison level for alternatives
• What is the comparison level?

  The amount of reward you believe you deserve
• What does the comparison level develop out of?

  Our experiences of previous relationships
• What is the comparison level influenced by?

  Social norms
• Over time, we get more relationships 'under our belt' and more experience of social norms
• When do we consider a relationship worth pursuing?

  Comparison level high
• What can be linked to the comparison level?

  Self-esteem
• Someone with low self-esteem will have a low comparison level
• What is the first measure of profit?

  Comparison level
• What is the second measure of profit?

  Comparison level for alternatives
• We will stay in our current relationship only if it is more rewarding than alternatives
• According to Duck, what will the comparison level for alternatives depend on?

  The state of our current relationship
• Who said the comparison level for alternatives depends on the state of our current relationships?

  Duck
• What were the four stages of relationship development proposed by Thibault and Kelley?

  Sampling

  Bargaining

  Commitment

  Institutionalisation
• What is the sampling stage?

  Explore rewards and costs by experimenting in our own relationships or observing others doing so
• What is the bargaining stage?

  Beginning of a relationship; partners exchange rewards and costs - negotiating and identifying what's most profitable
• What is the commitment stage?

  Sources of costs and rewards become more predictable - relationship more stable as rewards increases and costs lessen
• What is the institutionalisation stage?

  Partners settled and rewards and costs firmly established