Evaluation

• Methodological issues

  -Research supporting equity theory is correlational so issues with establishing a cause or effect relationship and relies on self-report which introduces social desirability bias which lacks validity of results.
• Supporting research by Utne et al

  -Studies newly married couples.

  -Self reported the level of equity and satisfaction level in the relationship.

  -Found a relationship between those who perceived high levels of equity reported high levels of satisfaction.

  -correlational so can't establish if level of equity causes the satisfaction level.
• Individual differences

  -Not all individuals are concerned with achieving fairness in their exchanges.

  -Huseman et al proposed new perspective of eqity theory

  • Equity sensitivities: individual feels satisfied when the benmefits are equal.
  • Benevolents: individual feels satisfaction from under-benefitting.
  • Entitleds: individual feels satisfaction from over-benefitting.
• Cultural relativism

  -Equity theory proposed that the need for equity is a universal feature of relationships.

  -Aumer-Ryan found the importance of equity to be moderated by culture.

  -Collectivist cultures are satisfied in inequitable exchanges (over-benefitting).

  -Individualistic cultures are satisfied in equitable exchanges.