This study was designed to determine whether or not equity considerations are important in dating couples' most intimate of relationships-their sexual relations. To answer this question, we interviewed 189 college men and women. We proposed: Men and women who feel their relationships are equitable (1) should be more content, and (2) should have more satisfying sexual relations than those who feel either overbenefited or underbenefited. We found strong support for the first hypothesis and some, far weaker support, for the second hypothesis.
Theoretical background Equity theory consists of four interlocking propositions (see Hatfield et al., 1979~).Theorists argue that individuals try to maximize their outcomes (Proposition I). Groups can maximize collective outcomes by devising an equitable system for sharing resources. Thus, groups try to induce members to behave equitably. They can do' this in only one way-by making it more profitable to be 'generous' than to be greedy. They reward those who behave equitably and punish those who do not (Proposition 11). When socialized persons find themselves enmeshed in inequitable relationships, they experience distress (Proposition 111) and are moved to reduce such distress, by restoring either actual equity or psychological equity to their relationships (Proposition IV).There is a great deal of evidence that equity theory considerations are critically important in determining how people act in relatively superficial encounters. Equity considerations have been found to be important in such diverse areas as employer/ employee relationships, exploiter/victim relationships, and philanthropist/recipient relationships (see Walster et al., 1978). Recently, equity theory has been applied to intimate relationships-to dating couples' encounters (Hatfield et al., 19796), to married couples' interactions (Traupmann et al., 1981;Traupmann & Hatfield, 1983), and even to extramarital liaisons (Hatfield et al., 1979~). There is accumulating evidence that the same equity considerations that shape relatively superficial encounters shape intimate relationships too. As yet, however, theorists have not explored the extent to which equity considerations are related to what goes on in a couple's most intimate of relations, their sexual relations. The present correlational study was designed to do just that.According to Proposition 111, 'When individuals find themselves participating in inequitable relationships, they will become distressed. The more inequitable the relationship, the more distress they will feel.' Thus couples in equitable relationships should feel fairly comfortable about their relationships; couples in inequitable relationships should not.It is obvious why 'underbenefited' men and women (who feel they are getting far less than they deserve) would feel uncomfortable-they have every reason to feel resentful and angry; but, at first consideration, it is not obvious that their overbenefited mates should feel uneasy too. According to equity theorists, however, they should. The 'overbe...