What does equity theory say about how relationships feel when contributions and rewards are proportional?

• A. It has no impact on satisfaction.
• B. Satisfaction increases only when rewards exceed costs.
• C. It feels fair and distress is triggered by under- or over-benefits.
• D. Equity is irrelevant to long-term relationships.

Answer: (C)

Equity theory centers on fairness judgments in relationships based on the ratio of what you invest (contributions) to what you get back (rewards), compared to your partner. When both people feel their ratios are proportional, the relationship seems fair and satisfaction is high. Distress shows up when that balance is off—if you feel you’re contributing more than you’re receiving (under-benefiting) or receiving more than you’ve earned for your contributions (over-benefiting), you’ll feel unfairness and discomfort. This idea captures why proportionality matters for how satisfied you feel in a long-term relationship.

Why the other notions don’t fit: fairness does impact satisfaction, so saying there’s no impact isn’t accurate. Satisfaction isn’t limited to situations where rewards exceed costs; equity is about proportionality, including cases where one party is over-benefited or under-benefited. And equity plays a role in long-term relationships as part of ongoing fairness assessments, not as an irrelevant factor.