Affect and Social Exchange: Satisfaction in Power-Dependence Relations

Recent theory and research on social exchange neglects a central concern of early exchange theorists: the satisfaction of actors with their relations. I apply the framework of contemporary exchange theory to the analysis of satisfaction using data from a series of experiments on power in exchange networks. I investigatefour main questions: (1) how the base ofpower (reward or punishment) affects the relation between outcomes and satisfaction; (2) how withinand between-relation outcome comparisons affect satisfaction in negatively-connected exchange networks; (3) how dynamic exchange processes, net of exchange outcomes, affect satisfaction; and (4) how actors' positions of power affect each of these relations. Based on a theoretical analysis of how the structure, process, and outcomes of exchange should affect actors' expectations, I test predictions of their effects on satisfaction. The results provide substantial supportfor the hypotheses.