How to Evaluate the Social Exchange Theory

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Make column one naming and describing all "benefits" called "Pros" in of the conversation/situation the considerations.

   Add the Pros point totals for the benefits in Column One.
   
   Add the Cons point totals for the downsides in Column Two. ,, They do not need to be in any order and are not correlated across on the sheet. ,, They are involved in the same situation and can determine a rating in each column without correlating the items. , This is called a force-field analysis which is one of many ways to evaluate the theory and realize the theory's potential while eliminating the interference of emotion.
2. 2

   Step 2: Make column two naming and describing all "downsides" called "Cons" (called costs in monetary matters) in Column Two of the conversation/situation.

   Total column one "Pros (Benefits)" and you see 43 out of a possible 50 rating So then = 43 ÷ 50 =
   0.86 or 86% .
   
   The pros form a strong argument for busing the students to other schools.
   
   Total column two "Cons/Costs (Downsides)" and you see 42 out of a possible 50 rating So then = 42 ÷ 50 =
   0.84 or 84% .
   
   The cons form a strong argument against busing the students to other schools.
   
   The pros for closing the schools very narrowly outweigh the cons of this particular situation.
   
   There is not clear decision to be made.
   
   It would be easier to not do the closing and busing.
   
   You could make a decision in this case by flipping a coin because there is no defined advantage for either pro or con. , One column could have 5 items and the other have 7 or whatever seemed appropriate to cover the two situations to be compared.
3. 3

   Step 3: Grade each point on a scale of one to ten on the analysis sheet.

4. 4

   Step 4: Determine which points you could work on to improve the exchange and therefore make the "cost vs. benefit" analysis of communication more determinable and effective.

5. 5

   Step 5: Notice the items described in each column do not relate the opposite of each point.

6. 6

   Step 6: See that the two columns are independently rated in the example below.

7. 7

   Step 7: Describing a different number of point to consider in the two columns is not a problem.

8. 8

   Step 8: CLICK the image to see the Closing School Vs. Busing Force-field Analysis Example in full size.

9. 9

   Step 9: Observe that the example in the image shows a two column analysis of what to consider in deciding benefits of closing a local school versus the downsides of busing the students to a larger school.

10. 10

    Step 10: Use a decimal or per cent rating so that the number of considerations do not have to be the same in each column.

Detailed Guide

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