Maintenance of relationships

Maintenance of Relationships

AO1- social exchange theory

• series of exchanges based on rewards, cost + profit
• Rewards= Sex, companionship etc
• costs= efforts, financial investment
  Rewards-costs= profit/loss

Comparison Level: determinest value of exchanges

• CL is based on prev r-ships exp + current r-ship exp + comparison of poss alternatives
• CL also based on benefits of being or not being in current r-ship (less arguing)
  if judgement of current r-ship is poor value, person motivated to end it or maintain it
  If profits exceed CL

**Rusbult found that when a person decides whether to end a relationship or not, weigh up the rewards and costs of the relationship with other potential relationships available, and also the investment already made into the relationship.

• Investment is defined as ‘anything a person puts into a relationship that will be lost if they leave it’. This could include possessions, welfare of children, emotional energy, money
  AO2

  1) Rusbult

• asked college students in heterosexual relationships questionnaires over a 7-month period, - noting how satisfactory the relationship was, how much they had invested in it and how it compared with…