Name: Momina Muzammil

Semester: 6th
Subject / Topic: Exchange theory
Teacher name: Sir Faiz

Definition of George homans.

According to George Homans, people weigh the potential
benefits and risk of social relationships. When the risk
outweigh the rewards, people will terminate or abandon
that relationship.
Social exchange theory proposes that social behavior is
the result of an exchange is to maximize benefit and
minimize costs.
. Social Exchange theory is an Economic Theory.
. Uses concept from economics and from operant
conditioning.
. We from a relationship if it is rewording
. We attempt to maximize our rewards and minimize our
costs.
. The reward minus the costs equals the outcome.
. We commit to the relationship if the outcome is
profitable.

 Critical analysis of Exchange theory

 Positive impact of exchange theory

1) Intrinsic reward are those things we find pleasure

in and of themselves, not because they proved
the means for obtaining other benefits. E.g. the
intrinsic rewards are celebrating a holiday with
one’s family, going on walk with friend, or love
the purest type of intrinsic reward.

2) A spouse or couple with the same ethic,

background, and culture can more efficiently
produce children with ethnic’s traits.

3) When partners are more equal, more likely the

relationship will be stronger and that goals of the
relationship will be achieved successfully

4) Increase the chance that the helper will receive

help in the future e.g. imagine a person who want
your help to further explain the concept which
 teacher was giving, so you will going to help
him/her so that it would be helpful in her/his
future or in exams.

5) It is reasonable to presume that any emotions felt

by actors due to their exchange could have
important effects on their future exchanges and
their relationships. For example, if the exchanges
make them feel good or feel gratitude toward
each other, their inclination to exchange should
increase and they may develop a strong
relationship over time.

 Negative points of social exchange

1) In social exchange when we do anything good or
having good feelings for others, on that behalf we do
something good for other but doesn’t get good
response or if we get good response and we not able
to the reword.
(e.g.) A soldier who sacrifice his life for the country
sake of their country and lost his life, later he get
good reward by government but can he saw that
(no) also even people don’t care which soldier dies
for them.

2) In a couple or any relationship we are involve, if

only one person is sincere or other person is not
good or sincere just like the first one so it probably
cause to break the relation.
(e.g.) A husband and wife having a marriage and the
husband is not sincere or may be the wife is not
sincere and also because of this children are
suffering so these of relationship became pathetic or
can’t reliable.

3) Sometime your emotion got hurt from whom you

know him her very closely and also you did not
expect these type of bed behavior with that person.
You expect from him her a good and appropriate
behavior or even you did a good job, but exchange
proses you didn’t get the same result.
e.g. teacher and student relation is like second
parents and children relation, sometime teacher
don’t give attention to every student and having
favoritism problem so student feel less motivated,
even he/she give right answer in class but teacher
ignore their answer so it will hurt their emotion.
 4 ) Having a good gesture toward someone but
brutally bullied by someone without any reason. e.g.
we go in office or get a new job, the worker who is
already doing job in the office usually make fun of
the new comer, if we want any type of help or need
anything they show us the wrong way.

In conclusion the social exchange theory assists a cost

benefit analysis before people engage in relationship.
Although it has come under certain from of critique, the
theory is widely used in the field of communication and
studying cultured interactions. It help people to make
decision that only benefit them. The social exchange,
therefore, help in eliminating wastages that people may
undergo in term of time and money or other thing that a
person invest in a relationship.