Evaluation of equity theory - Supporting research evidence:
Real life relationships - Make it a more valid explanation that SET
Utne: Survey with self-report with recently married couples with more than 2 years courtship measuring equity
Results - Couple who consider their relationship equitable - More satisfied than those who saw themselves over benefitting or under benefitting
Strength: Confirms the central prediction of ET - Increasing validity
Evaluation of equity theory - Individual differences:
Huseman: Suggested people are less sensitive to equity than others
Benevolents - Contribute more to the relationship than they get out of it
Entitleds - They believe they deservers to be over benefitted and accept with no guilt
Limitation: Equity - Not a global feature of all romantic relationships
Evaluation of equity theory - Cultural Influences
ET - Assumes the need for equity is universal across all cultures
Aumer-Ryan et al: Found cultural difference in equity and satisfaction
Compared collectivist couples with individual - Found individualist couples = Most satisfied when relationship is equitable AND over benefitting for collectivist
Limitation: Equity theories claim it is universal is not true - Limited as it cannot account for a cultural difference