It is a social-cognitive theory that explains changes in interpersonal states and attitudes.
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The balance theory was proposed by the American social psychologist Fritz Heider in the 1950s. According to Heider, people’s psychological activities are the process of realizing dynamic balance in the interaction between individuals and social factors (e.g., social events, other people, cultural concepts). The relationships that an individual establishes with others in social life are formed through certain events. Individuals and things interconnected in this way form a unit or system. For example, if individual A (P) likes music (X), and individual B (O) also likes music (X), then A might form a good impression of B, hold positive emotions toward B, and possibly establish a friendly relationship. Therefore, Heider proposed the P-O-X model that embodies the basic principle of the balance theory. In this model, P represents the cognitive subject, O represents the other person...
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Further Reading
Aronson E, Wilson TD, Akert RM (2014) Social psychology, 8th edn. Pearson India Education Services Pvt. Ltd, Chennai
Yue G-A (2013) Social psychology, 2nd edn. China Renmin University Press, Beijing
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Yisheng, Y. (2024). Balance Theory. In: The ECPH Encyclopedia of Psychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6000-2_170-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6000-2_170-1
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