Resource Theory

Resources are the objects, activities, processes, concepts, and emotions that have value to relationship partners. A resource can be valued, in and of itself, or only serve as a tool to acquire something of value (a means to an end). The value of any resource is defined by the meaning assigned to it, rather than by the resource. Similar meanings can be frequently assigned by individuals, such that some resources (e.g., money, attractiveness, loyalty) can take on a common or normative value. Resource exchanges occur across many types of human relationships (e.g., parent-child, romantic, friend, work, peer). Indeed, the nature of these exchanges can contribute to the development, maintenance, and/or decline of relationships. Resource theories focus on the identification, valuation, and exchange of resources.

Uriel Foa and his colleagues identified six categories of resources. Love represents care, kindness, emotional support, and intimacy. Thus, it reflects a myriad of positively based emotions toward others. Status represents the degree of respect, achievement, rank, or admiration. Status can be socially defined at a community level (e.g., national fame, social class, awards), small-group level (e.g., leader among friends), or relationship level (more-powerful/less-powerful partner). Service represents the activities performed by individuals to benefit relationship partners. Service often requires people to engage in some effort or work for their partners. Service, however, does not automatically imply subservience (power imbalance/exploitation). For example, parents provide many services for their children, but the parents might not feel exploited. Rather, parents might be quite happy to provide such services.

Goods represent objects, substances, manufactured products, or raw materials. Some goods, such as meals, are essential to daily existence, but many nonessential goods or luxuries are common to relationship exchanges—for example, gifts. Information represents facts, knowledge, insights, guidance, or feedback. Informational resources (e.g., advice) are not limited to formal education, but can be garnered from life experience as well. Money represents currency as well as other forms of wealth accumulation, such as investments. Although money might be considered a primary resource in some relationships—for example, employer-employee—it also plays a role in other relationship types (e.g., couples negotiate spending/saving priorities).

Comparatively, love, status, and information are more abstract resources, whereas services, goods, and money are more pragmatic resources. For example, giving feedback (information resource) would require thought, but would not require the use of objects or materials. In contrast, cleaning house (service resource) would require the use of physical objects to achieve resource provision. A single act can be perceived as more than one resource. Thus, cooking can be perceived as a service, a status symbol (for highly skilled cooks), or an expression of love (cooking as a sign of affection). In addition, relationship partners can differ in the meanings that they assign to the same behavior. Thus, individuals can engage in cooking as a gesture of love, but it can be perceived by partners (the recipients) as a service.

Resources can also be contrasted on the degree of specificity. Specificity refers to the extent to which a resource is particular or unique to relationships. Love, status, and information are more specific resources, whereas goods, services, and money are less specific resources. Love and money are considered polar opposites in the specificity dimension. Thus, individuals might expect that the love offered by their romantic partners is particular (and exclusive). If individuals learned that their partners expressed the same love to others, this might be reason to end the romances. Indeed, the individuals might doubt whether the love was ever “real.” However, the same dynamics don't seem to apply to money. Cash is not exclusively limited to one type of relationship and it is treated as equally real across interactions.

...