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สั�ปดาห์�ที่ 15

เอกสัารประกอบการสัอนวิ�ชา 427-303 Sociological Theories

เที่อม 1/2553

เร�อง Social Exchange Theory

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OutlineOutline

DefinitionTheoretical ContributorsSpecific ContributorsFounder-PremiseTheory StrengthsTheory Weaknesses and CriticismsExample of Social Exchange Theory

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What is Social Exchange Theory?What is Social Exchange Theory?

Social Psychological and Sociological perspective that explains social change and stability as a process of negotiated exchanges between parties.

Views that all human relationships are formed by the use of a subjective cost-benefit analysis and the comparison of alternatives.

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Social Exchange Theory Social Exchange Theory (cont’d)(cont’d)

social interaction is likened to transactions in economic marketplace

Exchange is a theory which attempts to explain interpersonal behaviors in terms of the exchange of rewards and costs 

roots in Rational Choice theory - but that doesn’t explain seeking benefit for others

so added BEHAVIORISM (operant conditioning) people repeat behaviors which have been rewarded in the past

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Theoretical ContributorsTheoretical ContributorsUtilitarian Economists

◦Humans are rational and will seek to maximize their gain

Behavioral Psychology◦Humans will elicit behaviors that will

produce greatest rewards

Cultural Anthropology◦Exchange process derive from

individuals trying to satisfy basic needs.

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Specific Contributors Marcel Mauss

◦De-emphasized psychological needs and concentrated on groups norms as regulating the exchange relations

Claude Levi-Strauss◦Collectivist exchange viewpoint◦Underlying patterns of society, and

that certain costs may be required of the individual

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OriginatorsOriginators

George Homans◦ Credited with the to consolidation of the

foundations of social exchange theory.◦ Applied reinforcement contingencies from

operant learning theory to social behavior.Peter Blau

◦ recognized that social structures have emergent properties not found in individual elements

◦ identified the norm of reciprocity (not always eye for an eye)

◦ mutual reciprocation is the most basic form of human interaction

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Originators (Cont’d)Originators (Cont’d)

John Thibaut and Harold Kelley◦Role of perceived rewards and costs

in encouraging and constraining behavior

◦Start with psychological concepts build upward to the dyad and build upward from there to small groups

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HomansHomans

Perspective◦people will do things that are rewarding◦the more similar a situation is to one

from the past, the more likely actions that were rewarded will be performed now

◦rewards gain value when deprived (and vice versa)

◦failure to get rewards expected = angergetting rewards not expected = happiness

◦the frequency of a person doing an action depends on the value of the outcome and probability of getting it

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Key ConceptsKey ConceptsRewards

◦ Pleasing a Social InteractionResources

◦ Material or Symbolic Exchanged in a Social Interaction Costs

◦ Investment of Time and EnergyPrinciple of Satiation

◦ Loosing value due to increased availabilityPrinciple of Deprivation

◦ Increasing value due to decreased availabilityComparison Level (CL)

◦ Societal norms, past experiences, observationsComparison Level of Alternatives

◦ Evolving Subjective Individual StandardDependence

◦ Cost as Participating in Relationship Interdependence

◦ Mutually dependent on the Relationship

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Key Concepts (cont’d)Power

◦ Greatest Resources◦ Least Interested

Distributive Justice◦ Reward and Cost being Proprotional

Equity◦ Both individuals derive similar levels of rewards

TrustSatisfaction

◦ Satisfaction = (Rewards - Cost) - Comparison LevelCommitment

◦ Social and Intimate ExchangesNormative Orientations

◦ Societal/ Cultural Views on appropriateness of behavior in relationships

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Social Exchange Theory TodaySocial Exchange Theory Today

Richard Emersonfocus on what people put into

relationships and what they get out of it

centers on dyads, but looks at some more complicated forms as well

everything we do has costs (to be minimized) and rewards (to be maximized) associated◦they range from subtle to explicit

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Social Exchange Theory Today Social Exchange Theory Today (cont’d)(cont’d)

REWARDS = anything that a person gains from a relation◦6 main rewards: love, money,

status, info, goods, servicesCOSTS = negative consequences of a

relation◦time, energy

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PowerPower

POWER = control over rewards and punishments

social power◦a person’s ability to influence the

behavior, thoughts or thoughts of another

◦exists when one member is dependent on the other for rewards

called power-dependence relations

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Strengths of TheoryStrengths of Theory

Most people understand general assumptions

Very Parsimonious

The ability of exchange theory to explain many family issues

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CriticismsCriticisms Assumes humans act rationally when

deciding on an exchangeSome issues are difficult to explain effectively

utilizing exchange theory such as altruismValuing self-interestLimited to dyadic relationshipsDifficult to have a personal approach to

situationsThe theory assumes that the ultimate goal of

a relationship is intimacy when this might not always be the case.

Theory reduces human interaction to purely rational process that arise from economic theory

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Social Social ExchangeExchange Theory in the Theory in the MoviesMovies

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2369479 -

Jerry McguireThe Wedding Singer