The value of reciprocity in social exchange potentially comprises both instrumental value (the value of the actual benefits received from exchange) and communicative or symbolic value (the expressive and uncertainty reduction value conveyed by features of the act of reciprocity itself). While all forms of exchange provide instrumental value, we…

This paper discusses the conceptualization of interpersonal power and offers a relational definition and measure of power. A distinction is made between "power attempts" (domineering message behavior) and "power" (transactional patterns of dominance). To test this distinction, 45 husband/wife dyads were randomly sampled from a…

Explores a structural exchange theory of marital interaction. Discusses importance of considering structural and temporal dimensions involved in marital exchange. Suggests examining the influence of the social structure on the cognitive orientations of marital partners and the subsequent exchange relationship. Examines how trust and commitment…