equity theory

• developed in response to the criticisms of SET, equity theory is an economic theory taking into account the role of equity or fairness within a relationship - where the level of profit is similar

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  when there is a lack of equity, one partner over benefits and the other under benefits - those benefiting the least are likely to feel the greatest dissatisfaction, with feelings of hostility and resentment, with the other feeling guilt and discomfort
• equity and equality


  equity determines the ratio of the rewards and costs to matter more than the amount - for example, if one partner has a disability that prevents them from carrying out domestic tasks, an equal distribution would not be fair - equity comes from the compensations the other partner can make in other areas - satisfying relationships are marked with negotiations
• consequences of inequity


  a partner subject to inequity will become distressed and dissatisfied with the relationship - the greater the perceived inequity, the greater the dissatisfaction

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  changes in perceived equity can occur as time goes on - it may feel natural to contribute more to a relationship in the beginning, but not as it continues

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  following a recognition of inequity, a put-upon partner may try to make the relationship more equitable as long as they believe it is possible
• ao3 - research support

  Utne et al. (1984) used self-report scales to measure equity and satisfaction in recently married couples and found partners who rated their relationships as more equitable were also more satisfied with them, providing support for the predictions made with equity theory and increasing it's validity
• ao3 - contradictory evidence

  longitudinal study on 38 dating couples found equity does not increase over time as the theory predicts - high levels of self-disclosure and equity at the start of a relationship determine whether the couple remain int the relationship, with low equity at the start resulting in relationship dissolution
• ao3 - cultural differences

  research has found equity to be more important in Western, individualistic cultures, as those in collectivist cultures were most satisfied when they were over-benefitting (true of both men and women) - this refutes the assumption that a need for equity is a universal feature of relationships and human behaviour, limiting the theory as it cannot be applied to all cultures
• ao3 - individual differences

  some people may be less sensitive to inequity - some people are benevolent and are happy to give more in the relationship whilst others are entitleds, believing that they deserve to over benefit from a relationship and therefore do not feel guilty for doing so, demonstrating equity theory's lack of universality for relationships and social interaction
• ao3 - direction of causation

  equity theory states that inequity leads to dissatisfaction, but it could be that dissatisfaction leads to inequity as people may be less likely to invest or put any effort into the relationship