The research group that he headed at UNC was regularly attended by
Harry Upshaw,
Jack Brehm,
Kurt Back, and
Edward E. Jones. He is best known for "A Social Psychology of Groups", co-authored by his long-time collaborator
Harold Kelley. The examination of social exchange led Thibaut and Kelley to develop
Interdependence Theory, a process which was facilitated by Thibaut spending a year at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences where he had significant interaction with
Kenneth Arrow. The early variations of
Interdependence Theory stem from
Alvin Ward Gouldner's (1960) norm of reciprocity, which argues that people ought to return benefits given to them in a relationship.
Peter M. Blau built on the work done by
George C. Homans in
Exchange and Power in Social Life (1964). Later modifications to this theory focus attention on relational development and maintenance rules (see Murstein et al.). Thibaut's later research was in the area of procedural justice, where he co-authored a book with legal expert
Laurens Walker. == Work ==