Exchange Theory
Power And Intimate Relationships
Key Concepts
• Rewards And Costs . . . again!
•
•
•
•
Focus is on the give-and-take of economic transactions: “profit”
Rewards may be material or symbolic
Costs may be punishments or foregone rewards
Value of costs/rewards is subjective
• Rational Decision-Making
• Unlike SLT, this theory assumes we can look forward AND backward
• Rational doesn’t mean “unemotional”
• As with any “rational” choice, we don’t know the actual consequences
Key Concepts
• Social Exchange And Alternatives
• Principle of Least Costs
• Comparison Levels (CL)
• Comparison Level For Alternatives (CLalt)
• Social Exchange And Power
• Power is an actor’s ability to achieve a favorable outcome at the
expense of another. It’s a quality of relationships, not individuals!
• Power Imbalances
• Bases Of Power
• Bases of power are different for different partners in exchange
• Bases of power are dependent on alternative partners
• Bases of power can be undone by coalitions
• Principle of Least Interest
Married Couples & Power
Married Couples & Housework
About
Equal
This line
shows how
much
housework
the
HUSBAND
does
Husband Is
Breadwinner
Why?
None
None
Wife Is
Breadwinner
Heterosexual Cohabitation
Women STILL Do
More Housework
Cohabiting women do less
housework than married
women
Cohabiting men do more
female-typed tasks than
married men
The EXCHANGE explanation?
“Girlfriends” have
other alternatives and
relationship exits are easier
Homosexual Couples
What Do You Do When
Gender Is Irrelevant?
In heterosexual households,
housework is SEGREGATED
In lesbian households,
housework is EQUALIZED
In gay male households,
housework is BALANCED
What Does Exchange Say?
The Partner With Higher Income
Does Less Housework!
Exchange Theory
Justice And Distribution Of
Resources
Key Concepts
• Distribution Rule Preferences (Eckhoff)
• Equality
• Need
• Equity
• Status
• Equal Opportunity
• Gender Differences In Rule Preferences
• Importance Of Stimulus Partner’s Performance
• Importance Of Skills And Effort
• Importance Of Status
• Social Comparison Types (Majors)
• Social Comparisons
• Normative Comparisons
• Feasibility Comparisons
• Self Comparisons
Gilligan
The Skipper
The Millionaire
DISTRIBUTION RULE PREFERENCES
• Equally
 divided into equal portions and one portion will be distributed to
each person
• Based On Need
 the people with the greatest need would get the most
• Equity
 the contributions of each person will be assessed and resources
will be allocated relative to those contributions
• Status
 those with higher status would be given the greater share of food
• Equal Opportunity
 fair procedures would be established so that everyone has an
equal chance to get the food
. . and his wife
The Movie Star
The Professor And Mary Ann
Key Concepts
• Distribution Rule Preferences (Eckhoff)
• Equality
• Need
• Equity
• Status
• Equal Opportunity
• Gender Differences In Rule Preferences
• Importance Of Stimulus Partner’s Performance
• Importance Of Skills And Effort
• Importance Of Status
• Social Comparison Types (Majors)
• Social Comparisons
• Normative Comparisons
• Feasibility Comparisons
• Self Comparisons
RESPONDENT
Determines how
resources ($100) are
to be allocated
Key Concepts
• Distribution Rule Preferences (Eckhoff)
• Equality
• Need
• Equity
• Status
• Equal Opportunity
• Gender Differences In Rule Preferences
• Importance Of Stimulus Partner’s Performance
• Importance Of Skills And Effort
• Importance Of Status
• Social Comparison Types (Majors)
• Social Comparisons: Compared to people like me
• Normative Comparisons: Compared to societal expectations/norms
• Feasibility Comparisons: Compared to possible (easy) alternatives
• Self Comparisons: Compared to my past experience