Social exchange theory


	Social exchange theory
	Advantages The notion of exchange has been used to explain why some women stay in abusive relationships. Rusbult and Martz (1995) argue that when investments are high (e.g children and financial security) and alternatives are low (e.g nowhere else to live and no money) this could still be considered a profit situation and a woman might choose to remain in such a relationship. Support can be found by looking at how people in a relationship deal with potential alternatives; one way of dealing with such potential threats is to reduce them as a means of protecting the relationship. Simpson et al (1990) asked participants to rate members of the opposite sex in terms if attractiveness: those participants who were already involved gave lower ratings.	Disadvantages However, social exchange theory does not explain why some people leave relationships despite having no alternative, no does it suggest how great the disparity in comparison level has become to be unsatisfactory. Social exchange theory has been criticised for focusing too much on the individuals perspective and ignoring social aspects of the relationship, such as how partners communicate and interest in shared events- Duck and Sants (1983). The main criticism however, focuses on the selfish nature of the theory. Are people only motivated to maintain relationships out of hedonistic (selfish) concerns? It is possible that such principles only apply in individualistic cultures, if at all.
	Evaluation

The notion of exchange has been used to explain why some women stay in abusive relationships. Rusbult and Martz (1995) argue that when investments are high (e.g children and financial security) and alternatives are low (e.g nowhere else to live and no money) this could still be considered a profit situation and a woman might choose to remain in such a relationship.
Support can be found by looking at how people in a relationship deal with potential alternatives; one way of dealing with such potential threats is to reduce them as a means of protecting the relationship. Simpson et al (1990) asked participants to rate members of the opposite sex in terms if attractiveness: those participants who were already involved gave lower ratings.

However, social exchange theory does not explain why some people leave relationships despite having no alternative, no does it suggest how great the disparity in comparison level has become to be unsatisfactory.
Social exchange theory has been criticised for focusing too much on the individuals perspective and ignoring social aspects of the relationship, such as how partners communicate and interest in shared events- Duck and Sants (1983). The main criticism however, focuses on the selfish nature of the theory. Are people only motivated to maintain relationships out of hedonistic (selfish) concerns? It is possible that such principles only apply in individualistic cultures, if at all.

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