Do you believe most relationships are based on social exchange theory?

Question

This means we only do things because something is coming back to us. Also how can I get people to help me and do things for me when I help them?

Answer 1

Yes i think relationships are based on social exchange theory. How can you love someone who doesnt love you back, or someone who doesnt put in the same effort you do into a relationship.

when you help others you shouldnt expect anything in return. If you did that would be more like a bargain.

Answer 2

Social exchange theory is a useful but not a sufficient  approach to understanding social relationships. It is useful in understanding a lot of social behaviour but there are at least two  ways in which it fails:

(a).   It omits the concept of power so the broader social relationships between major corporations their employees, their overseas cheap labor, their customers and with  government,  cannot be adequately interpreted through exchange theory alone.

This impacts on us in our own everyday lives too.  For example think of the day to day impact of the problems of

-not being to meet home loan repayments

-increased costs of petrol (gas)

-negotiating work hours that fit with the needs of the ordinary family.

.

(b) in addition your point about the exclusion of reasons other than self interest affecting our day to day relationships is a good one.  For example did you see in the TV coverage of the marathon race in Beijing yesterday that one of the runners passed a  bottle of water  to his competitor without any likelihood of such a favour being returned So even in situations in which we'd expect people to be entirely self interested, Social Exchange theory is not  sufficient...

How to make social exchange theory work for you?  Perhaps

a)by using it as  a long term strategy as well as  an immediate tactic.  

b) keeping this strategy for formal relationships with your employer or with bureaucracies..

None of us like to feel we are being used by our friends.