Reactions to a Request for a Benefit in Communal and Exchange Relationships
Reactions to a Request for a Benefit in Communal and Exchange Relationships
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Date
1977
Authors
Clark, Margaret Snydor
Advisor
Mills, Judson R.
Citation
Abstract
Based on a distinction between communal relationships, in which
benefits are given in response to the needs of the other, and exchange
relationships, in which benefits are given with the expectation of receiving
comparable benefits in return, the following hypotheses were
proposed:
1) If a person has been aided by another, that other will be liked
more when he requests a benefit than when he does not request a benefit,
if the person expects an exchange relationship with the other.
2) If a person has been aided by anotherĀ» that other will be liked
more when he does not request a benefit than when he does request a benefit, if the person expects a communal relationship with the other.
3) If a person has not been aided by another, that other will be liked
more when he does not request a benefit than when he does request a benefit,
if the person expects an exchange relationship with the other.
4) If a person has not been aided by another, that other will be
liked more when he requests a benefit than when he does not request a
benefit, if the person expects a communal relationship with the other.
Under the guise of a study of performance, female college students
worked on a vocabulary task while a television monitor showed another
female working on a similar task in another room. In order to manipulate
the expectation of an exchange or a communal relationship, some of the subjects were told that the other was married, had a child, lived
far from the university and that she and the subject would be discussing
differences in interests in the second study (Exchange condition). Other
subjects were told that the other was new at the university, did not know
many people and that she and the subject would be discussing common
interests in a second study (Communal condition). The other female
finished the task, received one point and gave the subject aid on her
task or did not give aid. The other female then requested a point from
the subject or did not request a point. Finally, the subject's liking
for the other and her expectations concerning the future discussion with
the other were assessed. In general the results for the measure of liking provide evidence
for the distinction between communal and exchange relationships. In
support of the first hypothesis it was found that the other female was
liked more in the Exchange-aid-request condition than in the Exchange-aid-
no request condition. In support of the second hypothesis it was
found that the other female was liked more in the Communal-aid-no request
condition than in the Communal-aid-request condition. In support of the
third hypothesis it was found that the other female was liked more in
the Exchange-no aid-no request condition than in the Exchange-no aidrequest
condition. The fourth hypothesis was not supported; there was no
difference in liking for the other female in the Communal-no aid-request
condition and in the Communal-no aid-no request condition.
As would be expected from the distinction between communal and exchange
relationships, liking was greater in the Exchange-aid-request condition than
in the Exchange-no aid-request condition, marginally less in the Communal aid-
request condition than in the Communal-no aid-request condition and less in the Exchange-aid-no request condition than in the Exchange-no aid-no
request condition. The results for the measure of pleasantness of the
future discussion with the other were also consistent with the distinction
between communal and exchange relationships. The results on the liking
measure demonstrate that equity principles, which have been useful in
understanding a number of different social relationships, do not apply
to all relationships.