Equity Theory

Equity Theory

1. A person feels comfortable in a relationship when they get out of it what they put in

   • I.e. one may clean the house whilst the other cooks

2. Inequity and dissatisfaction

   • Equitable relationship = one partners benefits - costs = their partners benefits less their costs
   • Lacking equity = distinct dissatisfaction.
     • Over benefitting = pitied, guilt, shame
     • Under benefitted = anger, sadness, resentment
     • Greater inequity, greater the dissatisfaction and more motivated to change situation

3. Timetable of inequity in marriage

   • Schafer and Keith 1980 surveyed 100's married couples.
     • Found child rearing wives felt under benefitted. Low marital satisfaction
     • Newly weds and older couples whose children have left home reported equity and high marital satisfaction
   • Hatfield and Rapson 2011 suggests satisfaction depends on stage of relationship.
     • Early on - reward and fairness is important daily.
     • Couples who've been together years focus on happiness overall rather than day - day happiness
   • Equitable relationships = less likely to have affairs.

4. EVALUATION

   • Equity sensitivity
     • Personal differences apply - one person may be sensitive to inequity whereas someone else may not be bothered.
     • Huseman identified 3 categories: benevolent, equity sensitivity and entitled.
       • Benevolent = givers and tolerate under rewarding
       • Equity sensitives = behave in accordance with ET and face tension when not in equitable relationship
       • Entitleds = like being over rewarded and feel as they are owed more. Dissatisfied in under rewarding situation or an equitable situation
   • Gender Differences
     • DeMaris 2010 found men and women are not equally affected.
       • Women = feel under benefitted in relationships and feel disturbed by being under benefitted
         • Sprecher found that women feel guilt if they are over benefitted.
           • Women tend to invest more time into relationship and so are more sensitive to inequity.
           • Due to rise of feminism - women = more vigilant towards inequity in marriage
   • Cultural differences
     • ET not as important in non - Western cultures as most research = UK and USA
     • Aumer and Ryan 2006 - Different cultures differ in how fair and equitable they consider their relationships
       • Men and Women in USA = most equitable
       • Men and Women in Jamaica = least equitable
   • Support from primates
     • Brosnan and De Waal studied capuchins finding the females became angry if they were denied of the prize (grapes)
       • If a non participating monkey received a prize, the other monkey became very angry and hurled food at the experimenter.
         • Also found they were more upset over injustice in casual relationships rather than deep intimate relationships, suggesting human behaviour has traits of ancient instincts
   • Problem of causality
     • Clark 1984 argues couples don't think solely of reward and cost and if they do then the relationship is in trouble.
       • Dissatisfaction is the cause and not a consequence of inequity
         • Van Ypren found inequitable marriages become dissatisfied with no other cause.
           • Hatfield suggested both processes may be operating, i.e. partner is pre occupied with inequities of failing relationship which leads to dissolution.