Equity Theory

Question 1

Define the term ‘equity theory’

Answer 1

• Claims that people are most comfortable when they get out of a relationship (i.e the benefits) is roughly equal to what they put in (i.e the costs).
• An individual would be equally happy in a relationship in which they give little to their partner and receive little in return and one in which they give a lot and receive a lot, as in both cases the equity between the two partners is equivalent.

Question 2

What does an equitable relationship consist of?

Answer 2

• where one partner’s benefits minus their costs equals their partner’s benefits less their costs.

Question 3

If people feel over-benefited in a relationship how might they feel?

Answer 3

• pity
• guilt
• shame

Question 4

If people feel under-benefited in a relationship how might they feel?

Answer 4

• anger
• sadness
• resentment

Question 5

The greater the inequity, the greater the __________

Answer 5

dissatisfaction and stress

Question 6

What did Schafer and Keith (1980) find about equity and inequity in married couples?

Answer 6

• During child-rearing years - wives = under-benefited and husbands = over-benefited, so marital satisfaction tended to dip.
• Honeymoon (when newly married) and empty nest stages (when children left home) = equity and high satisfaction for both husbands and wives within marriage.

Question 7

What did Hatfield and Rapson (2011) find about equity and inequity in married couples?

Answer 7

• equity only important during certain stages of relationship
• initial stage = equity = important
• when deeply committed = less concerned about equity and day to day rewards.
• happily married people don’t keep score of costs and benefits.

Question 8

What did Byers and Wang suggest about married couples?

Answer 8

• couples in equitable relationships = less affairs & longer relationships.

Question 9

Outline the procedure of Stafford and Canary (2006) study

Answer 9

Interested how equity and satisfaction predicted the use of maintenance

• asked over 200 couples to complete measures of equity and relationship satisfaction
• each spouse was asked questions about maintenance strategies like assurances (emphasising affection), sharing taks ( household responsibilities), and positivity ( communicating in an upbeat and positive manner)

Question 10

Outline the findings of Stafford and canary (2006) study

Answer 10

• satisfaction = highest for spouses who perceived their relationships to be equitable > then over-benefited partners > then under-benefited partners.
• under benefited husbands = lower use of maintenance strategies compared to equitable to over-benefited husbands.
• equitable = happier = engage is behaviours which contributed to spouse’s happiness.

Question 11

State the 3 ways in which anyone can deal with inequity proposed by Hatfield and Rapson (2011)?

Answer 11

1) Restoration of actual equity - voluntarily setting things right or urging partner to do so
2) Restoration of psychological equity - couples in inequitable relationships can distort reality and convince themselves that things are perfectly fair just the way they are.
3) Couples can just leave relationship - physically _i.e divorce) or emotionally ( no longer having feelings for partner)

Question 12

AO3

Are there individual differences in the impact of inequitable relationships?

Answer 12

P: Equity sensitivity - research = not everyone is equally sensitive to inequitable relationships.
E: Huseman et al (1987) = 3 categories for individuals
1 - Benevolent = givers, tolerant with being under- benefited
2- Equity sensitives = align with equity theory, tension when faced with inequity
3 - Entitled’s = want to be over-rewarded, ‘owed’, entitled to beneifts. = dissatisfied in equitable relationships
E: individual differences

Question 13

AO3

Are different genders equally affected by inequity?

Answer 13

P: DeMaris et al (2010) - men and women react different
E: Women perceive themselves as under-benefited and are more disturbed by being under-benefited - may be due to women’s greater relationship focus = makes them more sensitive to injustice and inequity
E: Increased emphasis on gender equality = women react more negatively to being exploited and more vigilant about inequity

Question 14

AO3

Are there cultural differences in equity?

Answer 14

P: Equity - not as important in non-western cultures, hardly any research out there
E: Aumer-Ryan et al (2006) - found people found it important that a relationship should be equitable.
Both men and women from US=equitable
Women especially from Jamaica = less equitable
E: Suggest people from different cultures differ markedly in how fair and equitable they consider relationships to be.

Question 15

AO3

Describe how the evidence from capuchin monkeys show the importance of equity and fairness in romantic relationships

Answer 15

P: evidence for equity and fairness - capuchin monkey
E: Brosnsan and de Waal - female monkey = angry when denied a highly prized reward of grapes in return of playing a game. if given to another monkey (who didn’t take part) = angry / throw food at experimenter.
Later study - chimpanzees were more upset by injustice in casual relationships than in close, intimate relationships, where injustice ‘caused barely a ripple’
E: suggests perception of inequity has ancient origins

Question 16

AO3

Is there causality between inequity and dissatisfaction?

Answer 16

P: Nature of the causal relationship (dissatisfaction and inequity) are not clear
E: Clark (1984) - if couples think about reward and equity its a sign their marriage is in trouble - this point shows dissatisfaction within a relationship is the cause, not the consequence of inequity.
However a study of married couples = people in inequitable marriages = less satisfied over a year, with no evidence for the converse.
E: Despite conflicting results, Hatfield and Rapson (2011) suggest that in failing marriages both processes might be operating. When marriages are faltering, partners become preoccupied with the inequities of the relationship, and this can lead to relationship dissolution.