Equity Theory

EQUITY THEORY

Equity Theory

- Equity when one partner's benefits minus their costs equals their partner's benefits less their costs.

- Being under or over-benefited = inequity, leading to distress.

- Dealing with inequity = restoration of actual equity, psychological equity or leaving relationship.

Schafer & Keith - inequity more likely to be perceived during child-rearing years.

Hatfield & Rapson - concern with inequity dependent on stage of relationship.

​​​​​Key Study: Stafford & Canary (2006)

Procedure - 200 married couples completed measures of equity and relationship satisfaction.

Findings - satisfaction highest when relationships perceived to be equitable.

Evaluation

- Not all individuals experience inequity in the same way (equity sensitivity)

- Gender differences in importance of equity (e.g. women feel more guilt than men when over-benefited)

- Aumer-Ryan et al found all cultures considered equity important in relationships, although cultural differences in how equitable actual relationships were.

- Supporting evidence from non-human primates (capuchin monkeys became angry at lack of fairness, according to Brosnan and de Waal)

- A problem of causality is that perception of inequity may lead to dissatisfaction, or dissatisfaction can lead to perception of inequity, as found by Clark.