Outline and evaluate two theories of the maintenance of relationships.

Thibaut and Kelley proposed that we develop a comparison level – a standard against which all our relationships are judged. Our comparison level is a product of our experiences in other relationships together with our general views of what we might expect from this particular exchange. If we judge that the potential profit in a new relationship exceeds our CL, the relationship will be judged as worthwhile, and the other person will be seen as attractive as a partner. If the final result is negative (profit is less than our CL), we will be dissatisfied with the relationship and the other person is thus less attractive.

Support for comparison level can be found by looking at how people in a relationship deal with potential alternatives; one way of dealing with such potential threats is to reduce them as a means of protecting the relationship. Simpson et al. (1990) asked participants to rate members of the opposite sex in terms of attractiveness; those participants who were already involved in a relationship gave lower ratings. However, Social exchange theory does not explain why some people leave relationships despite having no alternative, nor does it suggest how great the disparity in CL has to be to become unsatisfactory.

Equity theory is an extension of the social exchange theory, with its central assumption that people strive to achieve fairness in their relationships and feel distressed if they perceive unfairness. People who give a great deal in a relationship and get little in return would perceive inequity, and therefore would be dissatisfied in the relationship. However, the same is true for those who receive a great deal and give little in return. This is also an inequitable relationship, with the same consequence for both partners – dissatisfaction. An important point to bear in mind when considering this theory is that equity does not necessarily mean equality. It is possible for each partner to contribute (and receive) very different amounts and for the relationship still to be equitable. What is considered ‘fair’ in a relationship, in terms of input and output, is largely a subjective opinion for each partner. Thus, although one partner perceives themselves as putting in less than the other, the relationship will still be judged fair if they get less out of the relationship (relative to the other person). An equitable relationship should, according to the theory, be one where one partner’s benefits minus their costs equals their partner’s benefits less their costs. If we perceive inequality in a relationship, then we are motivated to restore it. This can be achieved in several different ways. For example, we may change the amount we put into a relationship, the amount we demand from the relationship, or out perceptions of relative inputs and outputs, in order to restore the appearance of equity. We may also compare our relationship to our comparison level for other relationships to see if it is worth continuing our investment in the current relationship or whether we should end it and begin a new one. In a study 200 married couples were asked to complete measures of equity and relationship satisfaction. Findings revealed that satisfaction was highest for spouses who perceived their relationships to be equitable, followed by over-benefited partners and lowest for under-benefited partners. These findings are consistent with predictions from equity theory. Some sociologists reject the claim that equity is a key determinant of relationship satisfaction. They argue that this represents ‘…an incomplete rendering of the way in which married people behave with respect to each other’, and that equity theory is, therefore, an insufficient theory to explain marital maintenance.

Research suggests that men and women might judge the equity of a relationship differently. For example, it was found that, among married working couples, husbands who earned more than their wives rated their own careers as more important than their wives’ careers. In such couples the women generally also rated their husbands’ careers as more important than their own. However, in couples where the woman earned more money than the man, neither partner rated their career as more important. Researchers concluded that: ‘wives’ tendency to seek less for themselves than men, impeded the achievement of equality at home.