Social exchange theory assumes that a person’s behavior is determined by the results of social interactions with other people who bring profit-loss or reward-punishment to be obtained. This theory offers a model in interpreting social behavior based on exchange.
The exchange referred to here can be described as the perception of profit and loss as mentioned above, to be “exchanged” with the behavior that is being or will be done. For example, you shave your undercut hair, then people say you look like a CR7. People’s view that you look like CR7 is interpreted as flattery so the next day you tend to appear with an undercut hairstyle again.
This post will briefly discuss what social exchange theory is, especially in sociology and what it looks like in everyday life. It should be remembered that theory is a tool to understand, read and interpret the world we see. Here we will try to interpret a person’s social behavior from the perspective of social exchange theory.
Read also Sociology: A Brief Introduction One of the core ideas of this theory is the assumption that people tend to repeat their behavior if the previous behavior is rewarded as a result of the process of interacting with others. In other words, the behavior received approval.
Conversely, if the action or behavior results in a disapproval of interactions, a person is less likely to repeat it. Social exchange theory is in a line of theories which assume that individuals are rational beings who act and behave on the basis of rational calculation considerations.
For example, you ask someone out, but are rejected, even your friends laugh at you. Rejection produces shame. In other words, your actions resulted in the punishment of being rejected and ridiculed. Social exchange theory gives us the opportunity to predict that in the future you are less likely to ask out or not repeat what you did again.
The working formula for this theory can be illustrated as follows:
Rewards from interactions – Punishment from interactions = Social behavior.
Social behavior can be predicted by calculating the cost-benefit or profit-loss.
Read also Social Interaction: Definition and Examples Social exchange theory is currently found in the study of economics and psychology. However, the theoretical foundation of this idea was formulated by the classical sociologist George Homans. Homans wrote an essay that inspired this theory entitled “Social Behavior as Exchange”. Sociologists Peter Balu and Richard Emerson later developed this theory.
In sociology, social exchange theory is always categorized into sociological micro theory. Analysis of this theory is often placed at the individual level, namely on individual behavior. Even at a deeper level, this theory quite often attempts to reveal the psychological side of someone who acts so that it does not enter into social-psychology studies.
It should be remembered that implementing this theory involves an analysis of social interactions. Behavior that is “exchanged” for rewards or punishments cannot be understood but through the interpretation of social interactions.
Also read: Conditions for Social Interaction Although quite popular, this theory is often criticized by many circles. Social exchange theory rests on the assumption that humans are rational beings who make decisions based on rational calculations. One of the criticisms leveled at this theory says that the emotional side of humans in making decisions is often ignored. Yet apart from being rational beings, humans are also emotional creatures.
For example, someone did not want to shave his hair with an undercut model because he was disappointed that CR7 moved clubs. Even though he is a big fan of Real Madrid. These reasons are more relevant to understand emotionally than rationally.
In addition, this theory is often called ignoring the existence of forces in the social structure that determine a person’s actions or behavior. For example, a young person who does a tik-tok dance has benefited from the popularity of a viral video. The young man then regretted his actions because apart from being unfaedah, they were also not in line with the values he believed in.