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    Exchange, Network, and Rational Choice Theories

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    Vitas Vitaly
    This document provides an overview of exchange theory and its roots in behaviorism and rational choice theory. It discusses how behaviorism looks at the relationship between an actor's behavior, the environmental consequences, and how that impacts future behavior. Rational choice theory sees actors as purposive and having preferences or utilities, but their actions are constrained by scarcity of resources and social institutions that provide sanctions. The core of George Homans's exchange theory is a set of fundamental propositions, including the success proposition that the more a person is rewarded for a particular action, the more likely they are to perform that action again.

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    Exchange, Network, and Rational Choice Theories

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    Vitas Vitaly
    164 views11 pages
    This document provides an overview of exchange theory and its roots in behaviorism and rational choice theory. It discusses how behaviorism looks at the relationship between an actor's behavior, the environmental consequences, and how that impacts future behavior. Rational choice theory sees actors as purposive and having preferences or utilities, but their actions are constrained by scarcity of resources and social institutions that provide sanctions. The core of George Homans's exchange theory is a set of fundamental propositions, including the success proposition that the more a person is rewarded for a particular action, the more likely they are to perform that action again.

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    CHAPTER 12

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    This document provides an overview of exchange theory and its roots in behaviorism and rational choice theory. It discusses how behaviorism looks at the relationship between an actor's behavior, the environmental consequences, and how that impacts future behavior. Rational choice theory sees actors as purposive and having preferences or utilities, but their actions are constrained by scarcity of resources and social institutions that provide sanctions. The core of George Homans's exchange theory is a set of fundamental propositions, including the success proposition that the more a person is rewarded for a particular action, the more likely they are to perform that action again.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    164 views11 pages

    Exchange, Network, and Rational Choice Theories

    Uploaded by

    Vitas Vitaly
    This document provides an overview of exchange theory and its roots in behaviorism and rational choice theory. It discusses how behaviorism looks at the relationship between an actor's behavior, the environmental consequences, and how that impacts future behavior. Rational choice theory sees actors as purposive and having preferences or utilities, but their actions are constrained by scarcity of resources and social institutions that provide sanctions. The core of George Homans's exchange theory is a set of fundamental propositions, including the success proposition that the more a person is rewarded for a particular action, the more likely they are to perform that action again.

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    You are on page 1of 11

    CHAPTER 12

    Exchange, Network, and


    Rational
    Choice Theories
    EXCHANGE THEORY

    We begin, following Molm and Cook (1995; Cook and Rice, 2001, 2005;
    Lovaglia, 2007), with an overview of the history of the development of
    exchange theory, beginning with its roots in behaviorism
    Behaviorism
    The behavioral sociologist is concerned with the relationship between
    the effects of an actor’s behavior on the environment and its impact on
    the actor’s later behavior.

    This relationship is basic to operant conditioning, or the learning process


    by which “behavior is modified by its consequences”

    The environment in which the behavior exists, whether social or physical,


    is affected by the behavior and in turn “acts” back in various ways.
    If the reaction has been rewarding to the actor, the same behavior is
    likely to be emitted in the future in similar situations.

    If the reaction has been painful or punishing, the behavior is less likely
    to occur in the future.

    The behavioral sociologist is interested in the relationship between the


    history of environmental reactions or consequences and the nature of
    present behavior.
    Of great interest to behaviorists are rewards (or reinforcers) and costs
    (or punishments). Rewards are defined by their ability to strengthen
    (that is, reinforce) behavior, while costs reduce the likelihood of
    behavior.
    Rational Choice Theory

    The basic principles of rational choice theory are derived from


    neoclassical economics (as well as utilitarianism and game theory; Levi
    et al., 1990; Lindenberg, 2001; Simpson, 2007).

    Actors are seen as being purposive, or as having intentionality. That is,


    actors have ends or goals toward which their actions are aimed. Actors
    also are seen as having preferences (or values, utilities).
    Although rational choice theory starts with actors’ purposes or
    intentions, it must take into consideration at least two major
    constraints on action:

    First : scarcity of resources


    Second : source of constraints on individual action is social institutions
    • provide both positive and negative sanctions that serve to encourage
    certain actions and discourage others.
    The Exchange Theory of George Homans
    The heart of George Homans’s exchange theory lies in a set of
    fundamental propositions

    • First, “they are usually


    stated and empirically tested by persons who call themselves
    psychologists”
    • Second, and more important, they are psychological because of the
    level at which they deal with the individual in society:
    Social Behavior: Its Elementary Forms
    (1961, 1974)
    Homans acknowledged that his exchange theory is derived from both
    behavioral psychology and elementary economics (rational choice
    theory)
    • In fact, Homans (1984) regrets that his theory was labeled “exchange
    theory” because he sees it as a behavioral psychology applied to
    specific situations.
    The Success Proposition
    • For all actions taken by persons, the more often a particular action of
    a person is rewarded, the more likely the person is to perform that
    action.
    (Homans, 1974:16)
    The Stimulus Proposition

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