Perceived inequity and depression in intimate relationships: The moderating effects of self-esteem

The positive relationship between depression and perceptions of inequity is supported strongly by theory and research. Less well understood, however, are the conditions under which individuals in intimate relationships perceive inequiry without experiencing depression. Employing ideas developed from equity theory and self theory and using responses front more than 5,000 married and cohabiting respondents from the National Survey of Families and Households 1987-1988 (NSFH) we examine the moderating effect of self-esteem on the relationship between perceived equity/inequity and depression. We argue that self-esteem primarily buffers the impact of feeling underbenefited on depression. As predicted, high self-esteem moderates the relationship between underbenefiting and depression, but not the effect of overbenefiting on depression. The findings suggest ways in which individuals' self-esteem affects responses to imbalanced exchanges.