Discuss the equity theory of romantic relationships 16 marks.
Equity theory is another economic theory and agrees people weigh up costs and rewards in a
relationship, but the main priority of partners is to ensure there is equity (fairness) in a relationship.
Walster et al stated that both level of profits and costs of partners should be similar. Usually it is the
partner who is under benefited who experiences the greatest dissatisfaction in a relationship,
whereas as the over benefitted experiences feelings of guilt and shame. Equity does not necessarily
mean equality as people can put different amounts within a relationship and still be deemed as
equitable. For example if one partner puts in a lot into a relationship and gets lot out, then it seems
equitable. Therefore the equity theory is dependent on input/output ratios.
Consequences of equity, the greater perceived inequity, the greater the dissatisfaction, equity
predicts a strong correlation between the two. It applies to both over and under benefitted. If a
partner perceives inequity in a relationship, then they are motivated to restore it. This can be
accomplished in many ways, the amount put in a relationship can be reduced in order to match
perceived fairness from the other partner, the amount we receive from an relationship may be
changed, the perception of perceived input and output can be changed in order to reinstate the
appearance of equity.
A strength of the equity theory is that there is evidence to support it. For example Utne et al
conducted a survey with newlyweds measuring the perceived level of equity in their relationship.
They found that the couples who perceived their relationship to be equitable were more satisfied
than the couples who felt they were either under or over benefitting. Thus this matters because it
strengthens the validity of the equity theory to explain romantic relationships.
A weakness of the equity theory is that it may not be applicable to all relationships. For example
Clarks and Mills suggest that short term relationships based upon the principles of ‘exchange’ and
‘equity’ but long-term relationships are based on meeting the needs of the other person. Therefore
this suggests that couples in long term relationships do not assess their relationship on economic
terms but there may be other important factors involved such as love.
Another limitation is research into the equity theory is based on correlational research. For example
research does indicate strong correlations between the factors outlined by the theory but causation
can still not be established. We cannot confirm that perceived equity causes satisfaction in a
relationship. Thus this matters because we cannot be completely certain or imply which variables
cause satisfaction in a relationship, affecting the validity of the theory.
Equity theory is another economic theory and agrees people weigh up costs and rewards in a
relationship, but the main priority of partners is to ensure there is equity (fairness) in a relationship.
Walster et al stated that both level of profits and costs of partners should be similar. Usually it is the
partner who is under benefited who experiences the greatest dissatisfaction in a relationship,
whereas as the over benefitted experiences feelings of guilt and shame. Equity does not necessarily
mean equality as people can put different amounts within a relationship and still be deemed as
equitable. For example if one partner puts in a lot into a relationship and gets lot out, then it seems
equitable. Therefore the equity theory is dependent on input/output ratios.
Consequences of equity, the greater perceived inequity, the greater the dissatisfaction, equity
predicts a strong correlation between the two. It applies to both over and under benefitted. If a
partner perceives inequity in a relationship, then they are motivated to restore it. This can be
accomplished in many ways, the amount put in a relationship can be reduced in order to match
perceived fairness from the other partner, the amount we receive from an relationship may be
changed, the perception of perceived input and output can be changed in order to reinstate the
appearance of equity.
A strength of the equity theory is that there is evidence to support it. For example Utne et al
conducted a survey with newlyweds measuring the perceived level of equity in their relationship.
They found that the couples who perceived their relationship to be equitable were more satisfied
than the couples who felt they were either under or over benefitting. Thus this matters because it
strengthens the validity of the equity theory to explain romantic relationships.
A weakness of the equity theory is that it may not be applicable to all relationships. For example
Clarks and Mills suggest that short term relationships based upon the principles of ‘exchange’ and
‘equity’ but long-term relationships are based on meeting the needs of the other person. Therefore
this suggests that couples in long term relationships do not assess their relationship on economic
terms but there may be other important factors involved such as love.
Another limitation is research into the equity theory is based on correlational research. For example
research does indicate strong correlations between the factors outlined by the theory but causation
can still not be established. We cannot confirm that perceived equity causes satisfaction in a
relationship. Thus this matters because we cannot be completely certain or imply which variables
cause satisfaction in a relationship, affecting the validity of the theory.
