Measuring Equity in Intimate Relations

It has been suggested that equity theory, a social psychological theory concerned with the fairness in casual relationships, should be applicable to inti mate relations as well. As a first step in that direc tion, this report describes the development of the Traupmann-Utne-Walster Equity/Inequity Scales, which measure the level of equity that intimate couples perceive in their relationships. The scales, which include items from four areas of concern for intimates—personal concerns, emotional concerns, day-to-day concerns, and opportunities gained or lost—are described, and data from two empirical studies are reported. The first study demonstrates the internal consistency reliability of the scales. The second study reports data relevant to the construct validity of the scales. Two constructs derived from equity theory—affect and satisfaction—are shown to behave in the predicted way when the Traup mann-Utne-Walster Scales are used as the measure of inequity.