Maintenance of Relationships

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What are the two theories in maintenance of relationships?
Social Exchange + Equity
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Who developed the social exchange theory?
Thibaut + Kelley (1959)
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What is the social exchange theory based on?
Based on the principles of operant conditioning which suggests we form relationships if they are rewarding.
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What does the social exchange theory define a rewarding relationship as?
When the rewards outweigh the costs. (rewards-costs=outcome)
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According to social exchange theory, what do we use to judge how one partner compares to another?
Comparision Level (CL
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What is the CL based on?
A combination of past experiences and expectations of new relationships.
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What is a CL Alt?
Where potential rewards of a new partner are checked.
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What did Rusbult + Martz suggest about abusive relationships?
If investments are high (such as finance) then it is still seen as a profitable situation.
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What does SET fail to explain?
Doesn't explain why people leave relationships despite having no alternatives.
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What did Angle + Duck find?
SET suggests people spend considerable time monitoring their relationship but people only do this when they are dissatisfied.
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How is the SET reductionist?
It breaks down complex relationships and oversimplifies them.
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Who developed the Equity theory?
Walster
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What is the equity theory?
It is an extension of SET and suggests that people strive to achieve fairness in relationships and become distressed if they don't.
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How can we achieve equity?
We can change the amount we put into a relationship or the amount demanded.
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What does equity mean?
Balance + Stability
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What did Van Yperen + Buunk find?
Conducted a study with 259 couples (80% married) and 65% said that there was equity and 25% of men felt over benefited + 25% of women felt under benefited. 1 year later, those in group one were most satisfied and group two were least.
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What did Clark + Mills find?
Disagreed with the claim what relationships are based on economics, they distinguished between exchange (colleagues) and communal (lovers) relationships. Exchange relationships may involve keeping track of rewards, communal is responding to needs.
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What did Moghadam find?
Suggested that such economic theories only apply to western relationships.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Who developed the social exchange theory?

Back

Thibaut + Kelley (1959)

Card 3

Front

What is the social exchange theory based on?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What does the social exchange theory define a rewarding relationship as?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

According to social exchange theory, what do we use to judge how one partner compares to another?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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