resource theory
a theory of interpersonal relationships holding that the amount of resources (e.g., information, love, status, money, goods, services) possessed by each of the participants greatly affects the nature of their relationship. Individuals with more resources than they require for themselves can distribute their excess to the other party and thus have power over the other to the extent that the other needs the resources. It is proposed that withholding needed resources can heighten conflict, whereas the relationship is harmonious when each party is equally powerful and cooperative in the exchange of resources. [proposed in 1974 by U.S. psychologists Edna B. Foa (1937– ) and Uriel G. Foa (1916–1990)]