1. To Know from Baumeister & Vohs (2004)
Role of supply/demand in sexual context
Values associat. w/ female vs. male sexualities
Different contexts of asymmetry (“complementary”) sexual economic roles:
Prostitution
Courtship
Infidelity/divorce
Partner power statuses
Abusive relationships, rape, etc.

2. Primary Comm Theorists in SET
John Thibaut
&
Harold Kelley
“Every individual voluntarily enters and stays in any relationship only as long as it is adequately satisfactory” in terms of rewards and costs

3. Assumptions about human nature:
We &
Humans 
Stndrds to eval. costs/rewards vary & by

4. Assumptions about nature of R’s:
R’s are
Relational life 

5. Social Exchange Theory (SET)
Marketplace metaphor & social exchange
People review & weigh R’s via costs/rewards
Rewards - Costs =
determines if reward or cost
All R’s require some time & effort
Worth of R predicts its outcome (future)

6. Relationship Evaluation
Types of comparisons for evaluating R’s:
Comparison level (CL)
Based on
Comparison level of alternatives (CLalt)
Measure of

7. Exchange Structures

8. Relationship Evaluation Exchange Patterns
Behavioral sequences
People adjust behaviors in R
Actions designed to achieve goal
Matrices
matrix
Choices & outcomes determ. by external (environment) & internal (people’s skills) factors
Possible choices & outcomes to Given Matrix determ. by new skills learned/avail.
Beliefs people hold about rewards that ought to be exchanged

9. Exchange Structures (within the matrices)

10. Based on matrices…
If know & … can predict used to impact social exchange.
In other words…
If we know ppl’s beliefs/percept’s & their relational constraints/situat., we can predict what they’ll do

11. Critical Strengths of SET

12. Criticisms of SET
Failure to focus on importance of grp solidarity