In Social Exchange Theory, which of the following is categorized as a cost?

• A. Rewards
• B. Costs
• C. Not being with other people (alternatives)
• D. Financial costs

Answer: (B)

Costs are the negative resources you give up to obtain a reward in Social Exchange Theory. They include time, effort, emotional effort, and other sacrifices you make to pursue the relationship. The option that names the category as costs best fits this idea, because it explicitly refers to what you give up in the exchange. Rewards are the benefits you seek, alternatives are other options you could choose instead, and financial costs are just a specific kind of cost. So identifying costs as the category aligns with how the theory weighs what you give up against what you gain.