Skip to main content

Part of the book series: Perspectives on Individual Differences ((PIDF))

Abstract

In this chapter, I examine the relationship of exchange and commitment. Before doing so, however, it is necessary to note that exchange, like other overused terms such as projection and love, challenges our communicative skills to the maximum. Of projection Murray (1951) observed, “If projection means everything it means nothing” (p. 13). In a similar vein, it took me an entire chapter (Murstein, 1988) to delineate the various ways in which love was used, and I concluded that there was no simple definition that could cover its myriad meanings.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Batson, C. D. (1993). Communal and exchange relationships: What is the difference? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19, 677–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buunk, B. P., & Van Yperen, N. W. (1991). Referential comparisons, relational comparison, and exchange orientation: Their relation to marital satisfaction. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 17, 709–717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cate, R. M., Lloyd, S. A., & Long, E. (1988). The role of rewards and fairness in developing premarital relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 50, 443–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, M. S., & Mills, J. (1993). The difference between communal and exchange relationships: What it is and is not. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19, 684–691.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coolidge, C. (1925, January 17). Speech before the Society of American Newspaper Editors.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, D. C. (1991). Friendship satisfaction and gender: An examination of sex differences in contributors to friendship satisfaction. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 8, 167–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levi-Strauss, C. (1964). Reciprocity, the essence of social life. In R. L. Coser (Ed.), The family: Its structure and functions (pp. 36–48). New York: St. Martin’s Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, S. A., Cate, R. M., & Henton, J. M. (1982). Equity and rewards as predictors of satisfaction in casual and intimate relationships. Journal of Psychology, 110, 43–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milardo, R., & Murstein, B. I. (1979). The implications of exchange orientation on the dyadic functioning of heterosexual cohabitors. In M. Cook & G. Wilson (Eds.), Love and attraction (pp. 279–285). Oxford, UK: Pergamon Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray, H. A. (1951). Foreword. In H. H. Anderson & G. Anderson (Eds.), An introduction to protective techniques (pp. xi–xiv). New York: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I. (1970). Stimulus-Value-Role: A theory of marital choice. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 32, 465–481.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I. (1976). Who will marry whom? Theories and research in marital choice. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I. (1986). Paths to marriage. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I. (1988). A taxonomy of love. In R. J. Sternberg & M. Barnes, (Eds.), The psychology of love (pp. 13–37). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., Cerreto, M. C., & MacDonald, M. G. (1977). A theory and investigation of the effect of exchange-orientation on marriage and friendship. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39, 543–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., & Azar, J. A. (1986). The relationship of exchange-orientation to friendship intensity, roommate compatibility, anxiety, and friendship. Small Group Behavior, 17, 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., & MacDonald, M. G. (1983). The relationship of exchange—orientation and commitment scales to marriage adjustment. Internationaljournal of Psychology, 18, 297–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., Merighi, J., & Malloy, T. (1989). Physical attractiveness and exchange theory in interracial dating. Journal of Social Psychology, 129, 325–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., Reif, J. A., & Syracuse-Siewert, G. (1996). A comparison of the function of exchange in couples of similar and differing degrees of physical attractiveness. Unpublished manuscript, Connecticut College, New London, CT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., Syracuse-Siewert, G., Rother, R., & Reif, J. (1996). Shopping for a partner the exchange way, or love as a dependent variable. Unpublished manuscript, Connecticut College, New London, CT.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murstein, B. I., Wadlin, R., & Bond, Jr., C. F. (1987). The revised Exchange-Orientation Scale. Small Group Behavior, 18, 212–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Nock, S. L. (1995). Commitment and dependency in marriage. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 503–514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norman, W. T. (1963). Toward an adequate taxonomy of personality attributes. Replicated factor structure in peer nomination personality ratings. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66, 574–583.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ross, M., & Sicoly, F. (1979). Egocentric biases in availability and attribution. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 322–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigall, H., & Aronson, E. (1969). Liking for an evaluator as a function of her physical attractiveness and nature of the evaluation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 5, 93–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sprecher, S. (1992). How men and women expect to feel and behave in response to inequity in close relationships. Social Psychology Quarterly, 55, 57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley, S. M., & Markman, H. J. (1992). Assessing commitment in personal relationships. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 54, 595–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stanley, S. M., Markman, H. J., & Lobitz, W. C. (1995). Commitment: A powerful model for understanding key relationship dynamics. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Washington, DC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Yperen, N. W., & Buunk, B. P. (1991). Equity theory and exchange and communal orientation from a cross-national perspective. Journal of Social Psychology, 131, 5–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse, J. (1981). The role of the initial attracting quality in marriage: Virtues and vices. Journal of Marriage and Family Therapy, 7, 61–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Murstein, B.I. (1999). The Relationship of Exchange and Commitment. In: Adams, J.M., Jones, W.H. (eds) Handbook of Interpersonal Commitment and Relationship Stability. Perspectives on Individual Differences. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4773-0_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4773-0_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-7161-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-4773-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics