Satisfaction in Relationships

Social Exchange Perspective

The basic tenets of exchange theory suggest that people choose to participate in a particular relationship because of the relationship's ability to provide a satisfactory level of outcomes. Outcomes are defined as the rewards derived from the relationship minus the costs of participating in the relationship. The level of outcomes perceived to be available from a relationship is based on a person's perception of his or her partner's attributes (e.g., sense of humor, physical appearance, etc.) and on the perception of the quality of the interaction between the partners (affection expressed, support experienced, etc.).

The exchange framework offers insights into the factors that define and influence the positive and/or negative attitudes that form around a relationship by focusing attention on the processes people use when evaluating the outcomes derived from their relationships. According to the exchange framework, partners continuously evaluate their relationships by comparing their experiences to their expectations. These expectations are thought to comprise what exchange theorists have come to refer to as each participant's comparison level (CL). The CL is defined as the outcomes that a person has come to expect as a result of past and vicarious experiences. When the outcomes received in a relationship tend to consistently fall above the CL, individuals are apt to be satisfied with their relationships. Conversely, when outcomes tend to fall consistently below this baseline of expectations, individuals then are likely to feel dissatisfied with the relationship.

In that the CL is based in part on relationship norms generally held within society, most participants in intimate relationships have somewhat similar expectations for what is expected and felt deserving. These culturally supported expectations are further refined and shaped, however, by the unique developmental and relationship experiences of individuals. Consequently, expectations should be viewed as reflecting a broad array of contextual and developmental factors. As a result, there exists considerable variability in terms of [Page 1399]what people come to realistically expect is deserved within an intimate, ongoing relationship. This variability makes it difficult to predict with certainty what will generate satisfaction or distress within a particular relationship because these attitudes revolve around the subjectively held and individually constructed expectations of each partner within the relationship.

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