Social Exchange Theory

• Social Exchange Theory


  Thibault and Kelley

  • Economic assumptions of exchange
  • Commitment to a relationship dependent on profitability
  • profit = reward - costs
  • If rewards outweigh costs, relationship is worth maintaining
  • Rewards and costs are subjective
  • The value of rewards and costs might change over the course of a relationship
• 1. Comparison Level


  = to judge whether a person is worth being in a relationship with. The rewards you think you deserve influenced by expectations, norms and the media. If we think the profit of a new relationship exceeds our CL, the relationship is worthwhile.
• 2. Comparison Level for Alternatives

  = where the person weighs up a potential increase in rewards from a different partner, minus costs associated with ending current relationship. We will stay in a relationship as long as we believe it is more rewarding than alternatives.
• 4 Stages of Relationship Development:

  Sampling Stage

  • explore costs and benefits of relationships by observing others

  Bargaining Stage

  • beginning of the relationship
  • start exchanging rewards/costs

  Commitment Stage

  • Costs and rewards become predictable
  • Relationship becomes stable

  Institutionalisation Stage

  • Partners are settled
  • Norms of relationship are firmly established
• Eval : Strength


  Sprecher conducted a longitudinal study of 101 couples at uni and found CLalt was a strong predictor of commitment.
• Eval : Weakness


  Argyle argues that people rarely are assessing their relationship for costs and rewards, or considering alternatives, before they feel dissatisfied, contradicting SET.
• Eval : Weakness


  SET is highly reductionist as it bases the explanation purely on costs and rewards, suggesting a holistic approach may be better suited because of how complex relationships are.