Social Exchange Theory: Child Abuse And Neglect

Latoshia Johnson

A Review of Social Exchange and Social Learning Theory: Child Abuse and Neglect

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Often times we as individuals come up with different aspects or assumptions based on ideas or when one is trying to explain something that is generally based on principles called theories. There are many types of theories that are associated with any type of social problem or oppression. There are two theories being highlighted within this review, the social exchange theory and the social learning theory. Major theories that have been studied to explain social behavior and why people act or behave in a way that could be explained.

The social exchange theory is a well thought out

They wanted explanations as to why people behave as they do. Psychologist first considered behavior as forces or drives, needs, and tension that may be inherent in an individual (Cook, 1976). Attention, including modeled events, individuality, emotional valence, difficulty, pervasiveness, practical value and observer characteristics. Motivation, including external, vicarious and self-reinforcement. Currently some theorist has recanted inner causes of behavior, they have explained that a person’s observance behavior could be the prime factor in environmental events that stimulated and maintained the behavior. One main theoretical position in social learning theory is modeling (Grusec, 1992). Modeling is a process how a person learns as a consequence of having watched another person perform (Cook, 1976). According to Albert Bandura, learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of others, then the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do (Cook, 1976). Bandura believed that people heavily relied on actions of others and typically blamed another for that learned

Over a period of time it tends to stabilize and relationships become more predictable. On the other hand, the strengths of the social exchange theory, it allows people to understand and relate general assumptions(Baer,et.al, 2014)). There is an economic side of this theory, if the costs outweigh the benefits or it there is an alternate route then it will be time to terminate. This theory is often used to explain family issues (Baer, et.al, 2014). Many theorist uses the social exchange theory to explain family violence, abuse and