Outine and Evaluate 2 Theories for Maintenance of Relationships

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Outline and evaluate two theories for the maintenance of relationships One theory for the maintenance of relationships is the social exchange theory by Thibaut and Kelly. This theory consists of people exchanging resources such as time and money with the expectations of gaining a profit from the relationship, the profit being things such as sex or laughter, leading to happiness. This theory holds two comparison levels of the relationship to determine its maintenance, firstly the comparison between previous and ideal relationships occur, in which we weigh up the rewards of our previous or current relationships to our ideal, and see if the difference is significant, if so we may reconsider maintaining the relationship. Secondly we compare our current relationship to our alternative options of relationships, if we believe we shall gain greater profit of social exchange else where we may also reconsider carrying on. Rusbult and Martz used this theory to explain why victims of domestic abuse remain in relationships, as they may still be in profit from the relationship despite the ‘cost’ of abuse. This profit may be due to the high investment the person has placed in the relationship, such as children. However this theory has many weak points, one being that you can’t accurately assess costs and benefits within a relationship making it hard it attribute maintenance of relationships on a profit from the relationship. The theory can also be viewed as reductionist for it focuses solely on the costs and benefits of the relationship for the individual with relationships being much more complex than this. As well as omitting factors such as emotion from consideration, despite the basis of what we believe to be a ‘romantic relationship’ being based on feelings and emotion. The is also generalised equally to both men and women, despite men and women typically holding different
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