Question

The chapter overviewed social exchange theory, which says that humans make relationship decisions based on economic principles like costs and rewards. What are ways in real life that you have seen these principles play out (such as CL-Alt)? What are possible weaknesses to this theory – basically, what are situations that people might not act in ways that the theory would predict?

Answer 1

People tend to compare their relationships with their previous experiences in other similar relationship and evaluate for the alternatives, and when they find no other choice, they tend to remain in the relationship because they they dontd want to alone. This is CL-Alt situations. Real life examples of such relationships are people in abusive intimate relationship, remain in such relationship even though they are economically independent, because they feel they would be lonely and it is better to live with an abusive partner. An employee remaining in a job for their life time, that do not pay well, as they have no other alternatives because of their limited skill and efficiency.

Social exchange theory heavily weighs relationships in terms of mathematical rational calculations and manipulations. In real life not every individual are so aware of their logical rational, rather they are driven by their emotions. As people do move out of their abusive relationship even when they have no choice, or staying in that relationship would be because they hope that one day they would be loved, or it may for the sake of their children or due to the fear of social stigmatism. The employee to may leave the job even though they have no other choice because of the work load and stress, and the low income.