The equity theory of relationships is based on a theory developed by workplace and behavioral psychologist john stacey adams. It has been suggested that there is a need to distinguish between types of relationship e. This chapter applies this perspective to the study. Feb 15, 2011 as shown above, equity theory is most useful when considering social relationships in the workplace or the school environment.
Intimate theories of intimate relationships part i. Theory means philosophy, when you are of the same philosophical family philoish it means that you communicate in order to come to an agreement and then in doing so you participate which falls into the. Examining equity theory across cultures in order to better understand cultures role between perceived equity in ones romantic relationship and relationship satisfaction, we sampled two groups from different cultural backgrounds and attempted to answer the question of whether culture would impact the relationship between equity and. Feb 16, 2015 equity theory was developed in the early 1960s by j. The papers discuss several theoretical perspectives, such as evolutionary theory, personality theory, cognitive developmental theory, equity theory, role theory, and attribution theory. People are most comfortable when their relationships. Equity theory is a concept of human relations based on utility, or the amount of happiness and satisfaction one gets out of any given relationship. For thousands of years, philosophers, dramatists, and. When i started in on the hypergamy doesnt care, post i knew it was going to come off as some unavoidably deterministic rant about the evils of hypergamy. Equity theory has recently been found to be a useful framework for understanding the effects of imbalances in intimate contractual relationships such as marriage. The value of intimate relationships and the challenge of conflict. Equity theory is a conceptualization that focuses on the causes and consequences of peoples perceptions of equity and inequity in their relationships with others. Consequently, modeling and reinforcement are two of the most important processes in learning aggressive behavior.
Until recently, however, equity principles have been examined only in casual role relations i. Governments and institutions, perhaps even more than markets, determine who gets what in our society. As a first step in that direction, this report describes the development of the traupmannutnewalster equityinequity scales, which measure the level of equity that intimate couples perceive in their relationships. How i was inspired to create equity in human relationship. The moderating role of communal orientation on equity. Start studying relationships theories of romantic relationships. In intimate relationships, for example, perlman and duck 1986 argued that relationships go through stages. Men who have been pulled away from their family by their work sometimes try to even the scales with expensive holidays. This contrasts with previous research that has focused on the extent to which justice principle use varies across relationships representing distinctly different goals.
In context of the domestic violence in intimate partner relationship between men and. When you get to the relationship of mutual appreciation this will make more sense to you. People are most comfortable when their relationships are characterized by equitable. The book outlines four interlocking propositions of equity theory and discusses the application of equity theory to different types of relationships, including intimate ones. Associations or relationships of any kind are crated for the sake of this same utility. Start studying intimate theories of intimate relationships part i. Jul 06, 2016 three reasons relationship equity is the new lead in a business context, relationship equity can come in the form of access to information, communities, individuals or markets. Men abused by women in intimate relationships booklet. This does not work well as they are trying to trade shortterm value money for longterm value emotion. Unlike social exchange theory that argues how people try to maximise rewards and minimise costs in relationships, equity theory suggests that partners are concerned about fairness in relationships. Fortified by the security of marriage, those who felt lonely while single no. Equity and sexual satisfaction in recently married couples. Equity theory begins with profit maximization as a general human motive in relationship transactions.
New directions in the psychology of intimate relations. Equity theory walster 78 is an extension of social exchange theory but argues that rather than simply trying to maximise rewardsminimise loses, couples will experience satisfaction in their relationship if there is an equal ratio of rewards to losses between both. Feminist theory argues that wife abuse is directly connected to the. The assumption of equity theory is that people enter relationships for an expected utility, or an expected gain. Equity theory applied to two equitable and two inequitable relationships outputs inputs outputs inputs peter olivia equity perceived equity not perceived peter olivia inputs or ouputs are. Equity and social exchange in human relationships stanford. Workshop relationship issues counselling connection. Clark and mills 1979 argued that romantic relationships are communal rather than exchange relationships. This study examined the extent to which specific justice principles equity, equality, and need are associated with different orientations within complex relationships.
Inequitable gender norms manifest in mens and womens attitudes about power and decision making in intimate relationships and are likely to play an important role in determining the prevalence of ipv. Stacy adams 1965 to focus on social justice or the fairness of social exchanges what we get and receive from relationships. Equitable couples seem to be happier, more satisfied with their relationship, and more confident that it will last than are their more mismatched, i. This theory says that people attempt to achieve fairness in their relationships and feel distressed if they think the relationship is unfair. Equity theory can be summed up with four main points sprecher 33. Fortyeight men and 60 women were randomly assigned to. Mypoliscilab is a stateoftheart interactive and instructive solution for introductory american government courses that combines multimedia simulations, video debates, research support, and practice tests to make learning fun. Debate about these issues inevitably centers on the question of whether. Its application to close relationships has been primarily advanced by elaine hatfield previously known as elaine walster and her colleagues in the book equity. The dictionary meaning of the word equity is the quality of being fair and impartial.
Belk the university of texas at austin acknowledgments. Equity theorists have explored mens and womens reactions in. Pdf equity and uncertainty in relational maintenance. Reallife relationships confirm that equity theory is a more valid explanation than set. Male and female steady daters were divided into 5 categories according to the degree of equityinequity in their relationships. Recently, equity theory has been applied to intimate. This lesson covers set and equity theory from the illuminate textbook year 2. People in inequitable relationships will attempt to reduce their distress via a variety of techniques. Although equity has been found to be important in a wide variety of relationships societal relationships, romantic and family relationships, helping relationships, exploitative relationships, and work relationshipsthis entry will focus on the. Equity theory is a social psychological theory concerned with justice in all interpersonal relationships. Equity considerations have been found to be important in such diverse areas as employeremployee relationships, exploiter victim relationships, and philanthropistrecipient relationships.
Casual friendships but there is limited support for its importance in others. Equity theory walster 78 is an extension of social exchange theory but argues that rather than simply trying to maximise rewardsminimise loses, couples will experience satisfaction in their relationship if there is an equal ratio of rewards to losses between both the partners. Social exchange theory applied to romantic relationships. We used data from the respect study, a randomized controlled trial that evaluated an intervention to prevent sexually. Fairness is achieved when people feel they get approximately what they deserve from relationships. Although equity has been found to be important in a wide variety of relationships societal relationships, romantic and family relationships, helping relationships, exploitative relationships, and work relationshipsthis entry will focus on the research in one area. Dealing with equity and social exchange is farranging in scope. Work is required, but the work is justified given the expected gain to the worker. May 21, 2012 relational equity is not just a mans strategy, its what women are going to rely on when they are old, fat and ugly. Learn about equity theory from a professional speaker and instructor in this free. Intimate partner violence ipv is widely prevalent in tanzania. This is similar in that it sees behaviour within relationships as a series of exchanges with people trying to maximise their rewards and minimise costs however the goal. This chapter examines the current status of the theorizing in equity and social exchange in human relationships and point the way to future developments.
An equal exchange of benefits results in the most satisfying. Equity theory we will maintain a relationship that is equitable we are motivated to restore equity in inequitable relationships by changing how much input we put in or the amount demanded. The 20year trajectory of marital quality in enduring. Stacy adams in 1963 and fully developed in a chapter published 2 years later, equity theory draws on earlier social psychological concepts inspired by fritz heiders balance. It is centered around a costbenefit analysis of any given relationship. Three reasons relationship equity is the new lead people, and businesses, always seek mutually beneficial relationships. Social exchange in developing relationships sciencedirect.
Outline and evaluate two explanations for the maintenance. Equity theory is also called inequity theory as it is the unequal difference that is often the area of interest. For more information about female victims, see women abused in intimate relationships information sheet or booklet, available at. Proponents of equity theory say the same is true of our intimate relationships. Another explanation is the equity theory, proposed by walster in 1978. The social comparisons mentioned above gave way to perceived inequity due to the persons inputoutcome ratio not matching their comparison others ratio. That post was born out of all the efforts ive repeatedly read men relate to me when they say how unbelievable their breakups were. Intimate relationships covers both classic and current material in a concise yet thorough and rigorous manner. Relationship theories revision notes simply psychology. Equity theory in close relationships elaine hatfield and richard l. This access code card gives you access to all of mypoliscilabs gradeboosting resources.
Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Oct 05, 2008 equity theory asserts that when a relationship is no longer deemed equal that relationship is in trouble. This is the product access code card for mypoliscilab and. Inequity results in striving to restore balance or in dissolution.
Because unfettered selfaggrandizement is inimical to good social relations, however, this motive is usually tempered by a concern with social justice hatfield et al. Equity theory asserts that when a relationship is no longer deemed equal that relationship is in trouble. Social exchange in developing relationships is a collection of papers that deals with the systematic study of the development of relationships. Domestic violence and abuse in intimate relationship from public. Equity has to be maintained in all 3 relationships. Equity theory argues that as the level of perceived inequity in the relationship increases, the level of the partners distress will increase as well, which will result in at least one partners. It explores the perceptions of humans regarding their inputs in the relationship and the outcomes they get. The value of intimate relationships and the challenge of. Home a level and ib study tools psychology maintenance of relationships. Overview of equity theory marriage and family encyclopedia. Before we present our case for equity theory and intimate relationships, we must point out that while this is probably the most interesting of our chapters, it is, necessarily, the most theoretical and speculative.
They make the crucial choices about who pays the taxes, who gets into college, who gets medical care, who gets drafted, where the hazardous waste dump is sited, and how much we pay for public services. This lesson includes independent and group activities that allow students to explain ao1 concepts and critically question them for ao3. Download citation equity theory in close relationships throughout history, people have been concerned with social justice. The importance of equity in close intimate relationships. The problem is that women have become so short sighted, and to be blunt, stupid. Individuals will try to maximize their outcomes where outcomes equal rewards minus costs. Oct 17, 2014 equity theory walster 1978 ao1 theory for psya3.
Journal of invitational theory and practice, 2002, vol. This study was designed to investigate whether equity theory can be applied to dating couples intimate romantic relationships. It can be used in personal life, government or business. Studies show that equity does play a central role in some relationships e. The maintenance of romantic relationships another theory for the maintenance of romantic relationships is equity theory. The general idea is that how hard a person is willing to work is determined, in part, by thoughts about what is fair or just as compared to others. Miller, daniel perlman, and susan campbell preserves the personal appeal of the subject matter and vigorous standards of scholarship that made the earlier editions so successful. It is conceptualized in more abstract and functional terms by sociologists, anthropologists, and political scientists. Sep 25, 2007 equity theory applied to two equitable and two inequitable relationships outputs inputs outputs inputs peter olivia equity perceived equity not perceived peter olivia inputs or ouputs are. Male and female steady daters were divided into 5 categories according to the degree of equity inequity in their relationships.