Chapter.8 Social Exchange Theory Exam Questions - Family Theories 4e | Test Bank Smith by Suzanne R. Smith. DOCX document preview.
Chapter 8
Social Exchange Theory
KEY TERMS
rewards commitment
costs persistence
profit norm of reciprocity
comparison level rule of distributive justice
comparison level for alternatives norm of fairness
dependence equity
TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS
1. Sexuality between intimates seems to be governed by the norm of reciprocity.
2. What people want and need can be obtained only through exchanges with others.
3. Both partners must have equal give and take at all times during a relationship for them to consider the relationship equitable.
4. We expect our rewards to be similar to those of others in comparable situations.
5. People tend to evaluate rewards and costs the same way.
6. People will get what they want regardless of the cost to themselves.
7. Social exchange theory suggests that people will help others without ever knowing if they will be rewarded in return.
8. A cost is something that can keep an activity from taking place.
9. Social exchange theory suggests that people will help others with the expectation that they will be rewarded in return.
10. From a social exchange perspective, we seek those relationships that are most beneficial to us.
.
11. How rewards and costs are evaluated varies across time.
13. People judge whether their relationship is profitable or not based on what they see others experiencing.
14. Dependence grows when a partner experiences a high level of satisfaction in her/his relationship and when potential alternative relationships are undesirable.
15. Humans are not typically capable of calculating the ratio of rewards to costs.
16. Social exchange theory considers social relationships to take place within a social marketplace where people negotiate in order to maximize their relationship profits.
17. Within families, some exchanges are reciprocated about the same time as the initial exchange while other exchanges are repaid over an extended period of time.
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. According to social exchange theory, those who receive more than what they think they deserve are likely to feel
a. Satisfied
b. Cheated
c. Guilty
d. None of the above.
2. Alejandro is working hard to complete his bachelor’s degree in human development and family science. He figures that the money and time he is spending to earn his degree will not only make him more marketable in the job market, but also more effective as a husband and father within his own family eventually. What kind of costs best describes those that Alejandro is experiencing relative to attending college?
a. Direct costs
b. Opportunity costs
c. Investment costs
d. None of the above.
3. In Smith and Hamon, Johnson and colleagues outlined three dimensions of commitment. They note that ________ commitment represents the desire to stay married to one’s partner.
a. Moral
b. Personal
c. Structural
d. Figurative
4. Josiah is reluctant to end his marriage with Alaina because of their shared possessions, how those in his church community might view him for leaving his wife and kids, and his concern about not being able to be part of his children’s everyday life. Which of Stanley and Markman’s key processes in commitment is evident in Josiah’s concerns?
a. Constraint
b. Dedication
c. Economic
d. Fabrication
5. The notion that rewards should be proportional to costs and profits should be proportional to investments is
a. fatigue.
b. distributive justice.
c. commitment.
d. profit.
e. none of the above.
6. According to Smith and Hamon, which is true of social exchange theory?
a. The assumption of maximizing profit ignores altruistic behavior.
b. Social exchange theory does an impressive job of providing a context for predicting and explaining a great deal of human behavior in social contexts.
c. Exchange theory’s individualistic focus results in certain limitations.
d. All of the above are true.
7. Which of the following statements about social exchange theory is true?
a. Social life requires reciprocity.
b. Individuals vary in the value they place on specific objects, experiences, relationships, and positions.
c. People must undergo costs in order to obtain rewards.
d. It’s rewarding to inflict costs on someone who is perceived as having hurt us.
e. All of the above are true.
8. According to Thibaut and Kelley, the standard by which people evaluate the rewards and costs of a relationship (in terms of what they think the relationship should bring them or what they deserve in a relationship, given what they know about other similar relationships) is called
a. comparison level of alternatives.
b. equity.
c. distributive justice.
d. a comparison level.
e. a reward contingency.
9. From a social exchange perspective, Person A is LESS likely to terminate his or her marriage based on knowledge of a partner’s extramarital affair, the more Person A is
a. independent of his or her partner.
b. dependent on his or her partner.
c. powerful in the relationship.
d. autonomous in the relationship.
e. economically self-sufficient.
10. Sarah stays in her conflict-ridden relationship with Joe because she believes that most relationships are like hers (comparison level) and her current relationship is better than none (comparison level of alternative), particularly since she is not currently employed. According to social exchange theory, which is true?
a. Sarah’s relationship is stable and satisfying.
b. Sarah’s relationship is unstable and unsatisfying.
c. Sarah’s relationship is unstable and satisfying.
d. Sarah’s relationship is stable and unsatisfying.
11. Which of the following is NOT one of Rusbult’s three variables for commitment, from a social exchange perspective?
a. a high level of satisfaction
b. several viable alternative relationships
c. investment of resources-- like effort, self-disclosure, and time—into the relationship
d. unattractive alternatives
12. A reward is something that:
a. you would like to experience with greater frequency
b. is seen as pleasurable
c. you would choose in the absence of added costs
d. all of the above
e. only a and b
13. Social exchange theory shares a basic assumption with conflict theory. Which of the assumptions below is a part of both theories?
a. Conflict is a confrontation over control of scarce resources
b. Individuals are constrained by their choices
c. Humans are rational beings
d. People are motivated by self-interest
14. Even though Sarah does not find Alex all that attractive, she does appreciate his kindness, his intelligence and his sense of humor. What kind of cost exchange has Sarah made?
a. social cost
b. investment cost
c. opportunity cost
d. direct cost
15. Alison and Mark have been married for ten years. Under which of the following circumstances would this theory suggest they are most likely to divorce?
a. Alison has met someone new who loves her and makes more money than Mark.
b. Alison thinks that Mark does not love her enough, and that she would be better off alone.
c. Mark confessed that he was unfaithful to her, but is sorry for his behavior and would like to stay in the marriage.
d. We cannot answer this question with the information given.
MATCHING QUESTIONS
Social Exchange Characteristics: Match the concept with the appropriate scenario.
1. After weighing the pros and cons of a. commitment
going on a second date with Jared, Andrea
decides that such an interaction is likely to b. norm of reciprocity
be more positive than negative.
c. profit
2. The strength of Jacob’s relationship with
Sarah is determined by costs of leaving, d. principle of least interest
rewards of staying, costs of leaving forgone
by staying, and rewards for staying forgone e. satiation
by leaving.
3. Scarlett O’Hara enjoyed the attention of
men; she found it rewarding, yet she seemed
to become bored as each additional man was
added to her fan club.
4. Rebekah cares less than Deron that they will
not be able to spend the weekend together.
SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION/ESSAY QUESTIONS
- Imagine that you are graduating from college and have two different job choices. Think about the things that are important to you when determining which job to take. For example, one pays more money but one is much closer to where you live. One has great benefits but one allows you to work from home one day a week. Use this exercise to talk about the formula of social exchange theory. Think of other decisions we make on a regular basis that require use to use this theory.
- What is the norm of reciprocity? What is an example of something you have done for someone else based on this concept? Can you think of a time you didn’t do something for someone because of a lack of reciprocity? How does it feel when distributive justice is not present in a relationship?
- How often are our relationship decisions based on using a comparison level? Think of a relationship decision you have made recently that was influenced by a comparison level. How did your perception of what you deserve in a relationship influence your decision? Have you ever encountered comparison level of alternatives in your relationships? Have you ever left one relationship in favor of another? If so, why?
- Define commitment from a social exchange perspective. What does commitment mean to you? How similar or different is your definition of commitment? What role does commitment play in relationships? How will you foster commitment in your relationship?
- How are filial relationships impacted by social exchange norms? How are decisions around caring for aging parents influenced by distribute justice?
- Think of a research question that you might want to explore using social exchange theory. What theoretical proposition(s) would you test? How helpful is this theory in shaping the questions that you might ask and in interpreting your data?
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES OR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
Family Decision-Making in Context
See: Graves, N. A. (2015). Applying exchange theory to understand family decision-making in context. Family Science Review, 20, 78-86. http://www.familyscienceassociation.org/sites/default/files/7%20-%20GRAVES.pdf
“What do you have to offer me?” Activity
See: Hamon, R. R., & Bull, K. S. (2016). “What do you have to offer me?”: A relationship building activity for demonstrating social exchange theory. Family Science Review, 21, 26-40.
Write a Personal Ad for a Dating Partner/Potential Mate
After reviewing the sampling of scholarly research on Relationship Formation in the Common Areas of Research and Application section of this chapter, write a personal ad for a romantic partner (150-250 words). Include attributes (rewards) that you hope to find in your partner. Be sure to highlight your own characteristics (reward capacities) which might be of interest to this person, as well. What qualities in a partner would be too costly to consider in a potential mate? What does this exercise reveal about your comparison level, comparison level of alternatives and values?