Theories on the maintenance and breakdown of relationships

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RODNEY MARUFU

OUTLINE AND EVALUATE THEORIES OF MAINTANANCE AND BREAKDOWN OF RELATIONSHIPS (24 MARKS)

Economic theories are a group of theories which argue that people keep an eye on what they and their partner are putting in and getting out of a relationship and they may choose to move on if a better ‘deal’ is offered by someone else.

The social exchange theory is an economic theory which was proposed by Homans in 1971 who acknowledged that relationships involve rewards and costs. Homans argue that we run relationships by keeping an eye on the exchange of costs and rewards. According to this theory, the overall balance between rewards and costs in a relationship will determine whether or not we are satisfied. For example, if the rewards outweigh the costs, the relationship is in profit and it is likely develop. However, if the costs outweigh the rewards, the result is a state of ‘loss’ which will lead to dissatisfaction with the relationship. So basically, the social exchange theory suggests that we are selfish as we want to minimise costs and maximise the rewards we are given.
Another economic theory is Thibault and Kelley’s interdependence theory. It is an extension of the social change theory. It argues that people keep an eye on the rewards and costs in their relationship and then compare their current relationship with previous and alternative relationships. If the current relationship is more rewarding than the previous relationships, people are more likely to be satisfied. If the current relationship is more rewarding than alternatives, or if there are no alternatives, people are likely to be satisfied.

It could be argued that both the social exchange theory and the interdependence theory are realistic to some extent. For example it is true that some people do tend to leave their relationships when they are no longer getting rewards or if they feel that they can get more rewards if they start another relationship with a different person. Also the assumption that people are selfish and self-centred may possess some validity in individualistic cultures because in individualistic cultures, people tend to only think about themselves or do things that only benefit them, so it does make sense that they may expect to receive more rewards in their relationship, but aim to minimise their costs.
However, both these theories are cultural bias. For example, they do not explain why some people in some cultures stay in an unrewarding relationship or in a relationship that is not as good as their previous or alternative relationships. Also they are deterministic as they assume that people do not have a choice but to be selfish in their relationship and that they will keep an eye on the exchange of rewards and costs. This is an issue because not everyone will be selfish in their relationship. People do have a choice of whether or not be selfish and also they have a choice as to whether or not they want to keep an eye on rewards and costs in their relationships.
Another weakness is the fact that both the social exchange theory and the interdependence theory assume that people will actually spend time monitoring their relationship. Some critics may argue that some people may not have time to monitor their relationship as they may be busy worrying about other things going on in their lives. Argyle argues that people only really begin to count the costs and monitor relationships after they are dissatisfied with them, suggesting that the balance between rewards and costs in a relationship may not actually determine whether or not people are satisfied in their relationships.

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The investment model proposed by Rusbult and van Lange in 1996 can also be used to explain the maintenance and breakdown of a relationship. Rusbult and van Lange say that we need to consider account investments when looking at why some people stay or leave relationships. The model argues that commitment is the best predictor of whether or not a couple will stay together. Commitment is made up of factors such as the satisfaction with the relationship, a belief that the relationship offers better rewards compared with any alternatives and investments in the relationships. These factors act as barriers to ...

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