Is Choice and Exchange Theory the Key?

Abstract

As societies become more complex, with greater and greater division of labor, and as they change more and more rapidly, the need for a valid theory of human behavior increases. As the behavioral sciences proliferate, with larger and larger numbers of researchers, practitioners and program directors, the sheer volume of research and programs calls for general principles which can be utilized in their systematization. With these increases, intellectual and policy confusion grows apace, and the need for general theory to guide research, ameliorative programs and administrative decisions becomes ever more urgent. Research and programs based on personal hunches and/or ad hoc theorizing seem to lead nowhere except to greater confusion-a confusion which can hardly continue indefinitely.