Equity theory: what is it and what does it say about relationships?

Let's see what John Stacey Adams' equity theory is all about.

Have you ever felt that you bring more to a relationship than the other person gives you? Or that you work too hard for not enough results?

To understand why this happens and to know what options we have to take action, we can turn to Adams' theory of fairness.

This theory stems from social and organizational psychology, and can be applied in both fields. In this article we will explain what this theory consists of, we will analyze its postulates or central ideas, we will mention some examples and we will also explain its limitations. In addition, at the end of the article we will briefly summarize what the equity theory conveys to us.

Theory of equity: what does it consist of?

Adams' theory of equity can be found both in the field of social psychology and in the field of organizational psychology.. That is to say, it can be applied in these two fields.

This is based on concepts such as social comparison and Festinger's cognitive dissonance.. Social comparison refers to the fact that we compare ourselves with others in order to value ourselves; we do not compare ourselves with "anyone", but with people with "X" characteristics. This allows us to improve in some aspects.

Cognitive dissonance, on the other hand, refers to a state of discomfort that appears when what we do and what we think or feel do not coincide.In order to eliminate this dissonance, we act in one way or another (either by changing our mind, or by relativizing things, etc.).

The psychologist John Stacey Adams, who considers himself a behaviorist (although for others he is cognitive), is the one who proposed the equity theory (1965), influenced by the previous concepts. He elaborated it within an organizational context, but we can apply it in other fields and even in everyday life. Let's take a look at the key points of the theory.

Key points of the theory

The theory of fairness is based on a series of principles or ideas that we will see below:

1. Comparison between contributions 2.

We insist that the theory of equity can be applied both in the work environment and in the social environment (of interpersonal relationships). Thus, people distinguish two types of elements when we strive to achieve something, or when we are in an exchange relationship (for example in a job or in a love relationship): these two elements are, on the one hand, what we bring to the relationship, and on the other hand, what we receive from the relationship..

In this way, we are aware of what we bring to a job or a relationship (time, desire, effort...), and we are also aware of what we receive from that company or that relationship/person (also time, desire, effort, financial compensation, etc.).

Consequently, we analyze it and try to maintain a balance between what we contribute and what we receive; so that there is no cognitive dissonance, we try to ensure that the balance exists. If the balance does not exist, and we contribute more than we receive (or vice versa), then there is a cognitive dissonance, and by extension, a motivation (or tension) in us that makes us consider some change.

Thus, in a certain way, we make a social comparisonWhat does my partner bring to me? What do I bring to him/her? Does it pay off? Do we have a balanced relationship? And the same in a job where something is expected of us (certain objectives) in exchange for a salary.

2. Tension or motivating force

As a result of this analysis we obtain a perception of fairness or balance, which translates into a ratio between what we give and what we receive. If there is no perception of fairness, the aforementioned tension or motivation appears. mentioned, which impels us to act, to change things.

3. What can we do in the face of this perception of inequality?

The greater the imbalance or inequality we perceive, the greater the tension we experience. Faced with this situation, we can act in different ways: for example by reducing our efforts in the company or in the relationship, or by "demanding" more rewards/contributions from the other party. The goal will be to rebalance the reason.

According to equity theory, we can also we can also choose to change our reference of comparisonby comparing ourselves to other people, other relationships, other companies, etc. Or we can choose to abandon the relationship when it really "doesn't pay off" and the balance is always tipped towards the other party.

Another option we have, and the one we use most frequently, is to maximize what we are receiving from the other person (or company) and minimize what we are contributing; it is a kind of "self-deception", a defense mechanism that allows us to remain calm without, in reality, changing anything in the situation. In this way, we resist making any behavioral changes in order to preserve our self-esteem.

In a way, it is easier to alter our view of what others are offering us (thinking that it is actually more than what they offer us), than to alter the vision of what we offer ourselves.

Limitations of the theory

However, the equity theory, although it has been supported in some studies, also presents certain problems or limitations. On the one hand, little is actually known about why we choose some referents or others to compare ourselves with (social comparison theory).

On the other hand, it is not always easy to "calculate" or determine what contributions they make to us and what contributions we make in the context of a relationship. in the context of a relationship.

Moreover, it is also not known exactly how these processes of comparing or calculating contributions change over time (or why they change).

Synthesis

In summary, Adams' theory of equity states the following: when in an exchange relationship (for example, a friendship, a couple or in the context of a company), we perceive that what we contribute is greater than what we receive (or vice versa), a feeling of inequity, uneasiness or tension (cognitive dissonance) appears. This perception arises as a result of balancing the costs and benefits of the relationship..

To get rid of this feeling of inequity, we can act in different ways, as we have already explained. We can choose to act directly on the other (on their contributions or results), or we can act by increasing or decreasing our contributions/investments. We also have the option to abandon the relationship, or to change the objects to which we compare ourselves.

Example

Illustrating the equity theory in an exampleWe pose the following:

If for example in a couple relationship, I have the feeling that I am always the one who does things for my partner (accompanying her to places, leaving her money, sharing my time, going to pick her up from places, etc.), and that she does not make any effort for me, in the end I will end up perceiving this feeling of inequity or imbalance in the relationship. In other words, the result of the cost/benefit balance will be "negative" and will not compensate me.

This will cause me to act, for example, by stopping changing plans to see her, leaving the relationship, or valuing other good things about the relationship that will allow me to continue with her without having cognitive dissonance.