Theories of romantic relationships: social exchange theory
Social exchange theory says people treat relationships like financial deals. They weigh up the rewards they gain against the costs they pay, and stay only when the profit feels worth it.
Real World
When a celebrity couple like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West divorced, tabloid analysis centred on whether the 'costs' of public conflict and creative differences outweighed the 'rewards' of wealth and status — an everyday application of social exchange logic.
Exam Focus
Define comparison level (CL) and comparison level for alternatives (CLalt) separately — conflating them is a frequent mark-losing error.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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