User:Mdg076/New sandbox

Social Exchange Theory is used all the time when we interact with another person. This plays a big role in our communication with others. When we pursue Social Exchange we might receive an award or it might cost us. For example; benefits can be immediate or ongoing, and they can be real (like products and services) or abstract (like love and companionship). Most of the time Social Exchange is not pursued unless those factors take place. We encounter Social Exchange Theory often when we are in a relationship with someone. People have benefits in relationships, like offerings, affection from their spouse, and an upsurge in self-esteem, but they also have costs, such having to pay for gifts, making sacrifices on how to spend their time, or experiencing stress. This is why it's good for us to want to use Social Exchange, because it can help us have a healthier relationship with someone or a better friendship. It helps create a less selfish side of humans in a way.

Research also helps conduct an understanding of Social Exchange Theory. A seven-month longitudinal study on heterosexual college students was conducted by Rusbult (1983). Every few weeks, the participants filled out questionnaires. He discovered that their level of commitment to one other and whether the relationship would endure was predicted by satisfaction, investment, and alternatives. He also discovered that the balance of exchanges was disregarded in the "honeymoon" phase of a relationship, but that subsequently, relationship costs and satisfaction levels were compared. This demonstrates the significance of incentives in a relationship and comparative levels, which validates the idea. It also implies that relationship maintenance is the ideal use case for the SET. Hatfield (1989) conducted research on individuals who perceived excessive or insufficient benefits. Whereas the over-benefited felt uneasy and guilty, the under-benefitted felt resentful and cheated.

Even though research has been done quite often to this theory it has its doubts and critics. The primary critiques directed towards Social Exchange Theory are its theoretical imprecision and its restricted capacity to generate practical predictions.