According to Social Exchange Theory, what motivates people to maintain relationships?

Social Exchange Theory posits that individuals assess their relationships based on the perceived costs and rewards associated with those interactions. According to this theory, people are motivated to maintain relationships if they perceive them as profitable, meaning that the rewards outweigh the costs. Rewards can include emotional support, companionship, and shared experiences, while costs can involve time, effort, and emotional investment. Therefore, when individuals evaluate their relationships through this lens, they ultimately choose to maintain connections that they believe are beneficial and advantageous, thereby motivating them to stay engaged in those relationships.

In this context, the other options—trust and loyalty, emotional attachment, and shared interests—while important factors in relationships, do not directly address the evaluation process of profitability as outlined in Social Exchange Theory. Trust and loyalty contribute to the stability of relationships, emotional attachment can deepen connections, and shared interests may enhance enjoyment, but they do not encapsulate the core premise of this theory, which centers on a cost-benefit analysis. Hence, the notion of profitability aligns most closely with the foundational principles of Social Exchange Theory in understanding relationship maintenance.