each romantic partner will want to maximise rewards/profits and minimise costs/losses in starting or maintaining arelationships
both partners looking for mutually beneficial arrangements results in stable and successful relationships
rewards
self-esteem, entertainment, gaining financial security, friendship, sex
costs
giving up time, emotional instability, stress, loosing financial security, less attracted to these people
some rewards and costs may be viewed as more or less important by different people
comparison level
estimation of how rewarding a relationship should be, to decide this we compare current relationship to previous relationships and other relationships we see in media
acceptable comparison levels change over lifetime and is linked to feelings of self worth
comparison with alternative
people look at other potential partners and consider if their would be a higher profit, if higher profit found with an alternative, original relationship will end
