Cards (6)

    • Equity theory - Developed to combat SET - Takes into account the need most people have for equity in a relationship
    • Role of equity:
      • Walster: Both partners level of profit is roughly the same
      • Lack of equity (Inequity)- One partner over benefits and the other under benefits from the relationship - Brings dissatisfaction and unhappiness
      • Under benefitted partner - Suffers the greatest dissatisfaction - Anger, hostility etc
      • Over benefitted partner - Guilt, discomfort and shame
      • Satisfaction is about perceived fairness
    • Consequence of inequity:
      • Partner who is subject to inequity - Distressed and dissatisfied with relationship if it continues for too long
      • Greater perceived inequity - Greater dissatisfaction - EQ predicts a strong correlation
    • 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
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