Social Exchange Theory

Outline

Definition Theoretical Contributors Specific Contributors Founder-Premise Theory Strengths Theory Weaknesses and Criticisms Example of Social Exchange Theory

What is Social Exchange Theory?

Social Psychological and Sociological perspective that explains social change and stability as a process of negotiated exchanges between parties. Views that all human relationships are formed by the use of a subjective costbenefit analysis and the comparison of alternatives.

Social Exchange Theory (contd)

social interaction is likened to transactions in economic marketplace Exchange is a theory which attempts to explain interpersonal behaviors in terms of the exchange of rewards and costs roots in Rational Choice theory - but that doesnt explain seeking benefit for others so added BEHAVIORISM (operant conditioning) people repeat behaviors which have been rewarded in the past

Theoretical Contributors

Utilitarian Economists Humans are rational and will seek to maximize their gain Behavioral Psychology Humans will elicit behaviors that will produce greatest rewards Cultural Anthropology Exchange process derive from individuals trying to satisfy basic needs.

Specific Contributors
Marcel Mauss De-emphasized psychological needs and concentrated on groups norms as regulating the exchange relations Claude Levi-Strauss Collectivist exchange viewpoint Underlying patterns of society, and that certain costs may be required of the individual

Originators

George Homans
Credited with the to consolidation of the foundations of social exchange theory. Applied reinforcement contingencies from operant learning theory to social behavior.

Peter Blau
recognized that social structures have emergent properties not found in individual elements identified the norm of reciprocity (not always eye for an eye) mutual reciprocation is the most basic form of human interaction

Originators (Contd)

John Thibaut and Harold Kelley Role of perceived rewards and costs in encouraging and constraining behavior Start with psychological concepts build upward to the dyad and build upward from there to small groups

Homans

Perspective people will do things that are rewarding the more similar a situation is to one from the past, the more likely actions that were rewarded will be performed now rewards gain value when deprived (and vice versa) failure to get rewards expected = anger getting rewards not expected = happiness the frequency of a person doing an action depends on the value of the outcome and probability of getting it

Key Concepts

Rewards
Pleasing a Social Interaction

Resources
Material or Symbolic Exchanged in a Social Interaction

Costs
Investment of Time and Energy

Principle of Satiation
Loosing value due to increased availability

Principle of Deprivation
Increasing value due to decreased availability

Comparison Level (CL)

Societal norms, past experiences, observations

Comparison Level of Alternatives

Evolving Subjective Individual Standard

Dependence
Cost as Participating in Relationship

Interdependence
Mutually dependent on the Relationship

Key Concepts (contd)

Power
Greatest Resources Least Interested

Distributive Justice
Reward and Cost being Proprotional

Equity
Both individuals derive similar levels of rewards

Trust Satisfaction
Satisfaction = (Rewards - Cost) - Comparison Level

Commitment
Social and Intimate Exchanges

Normative Orientations
Societal/ Cultural Views on appropriateness of behavior in relationships

Social Exchange Theory Today

Richard Emerson focus on what people put into relationships and what they get out of it centers on dyads, but looks at some more complicated forms as well everything we do has costs (to be minimized) and rewards (to be maximized) associated they range from subtle to explicit

Social Exchange Theory Today (contd)

REWARDS = anything that a person gains from a relation 6 main rewards: love, money, status, info, goods, services COSTS = negative consequences of a relation time, energy

Power
POWER = control over rewards and punishments social power a persons ability to influence the behavior, thoughts or thoughts of another exists when one member is dependent on the other for rewards called power-dependence relations

Strengths of Theory

Most people understand general assumptions Very Parsimonious

The ability of exchange theory to explain many family issues

Criticisms

Assumes humans act rationally when deciding on an exchange Some issues are difficult to explain effectively utilizing exchange theory such as altruism Valuing self-interest Limited to dyadic relationships Difficult to have a personal approach to situations The theory assumes that the ultimate goal of a relationship is intimacy when this might not always be the case. Theory reduces human interaction to purely rational process that arise from economic

Social Exchange Theory in the Movies

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2369479 -

Jerry Mcguire The Wedding Singer

By rajesh vizag