3.2 - Relationships (set B- Factors Affecting Attraction In Romantic Relationships)✅ Flashcards
Outline research into physical attractiveness?
- physical factors that men find attractive are linked to youth and health of a woman
- men prefer a childlike face
facial symmetry is an important feature across all cultures
Outline research into physical attraction - the halo effect?
- attractive people are consistently rated as successful, kind and sociable compared to unattractive people
- suggests attractiveness is the most important factor in determining wether we find someone else attractive
- research found males and females rated physically attractive people as more sociable, interesting and sexually warm than less attractive people
Explain what the matching hypothesis is?
Based on idea of people going for people who are attractive - but that they have to be on the same level of attraction (don’t go for people out of our league) due to fear of rejection
- when people are in relationships each partner reflects similar level of attraction
Outline research into the matching hypothesis - involving uni students and a dance?
- advertised a ‘computer dance’ for students attending their first week of uni - 376 males and 376 females involved who were rated in terms of attraction by 4 independent judges (filled in questionnaire - which they were told would help match them with an appropriate partner)
- matching was random, except that the man was taller
- at dance they were asked if they were attractive and wether they would go on a dance
Outline findings into the matching hypothesis - involving uni students and a dance?
- found males were only likely to go on a second data if their partner was really good looking - females who were rated by judges as physically attractive were frequently asked out on a second date by males who were not rated as physically attractive
- suggests people are not aware of their own level of attraction
Outline the strengths of physical attractiveness and matching hypothesis - give 3?
- research involved members of real couples being separately assessed for attractiveness rating - which found to correlate for levels of attractiveness supports MH
- study found that those in established relationships from meeting online ended up with people of similar attractiveness - in online dating people chose perspective partners who are much more attractive than themselves
- some studies use real life dating sites - so have higher validity
Outline the weaknesses of physical attractiveness and matching hypothesis - give 3?
- narrow - focused completely on looks rather than matching up for resources (eg money) or personality
- randomly matched danced partners favoured physically attractive partners regardless of their own level of physical attractiveness - contradicts theory
- cultural bias - some cultures arrange their relationships, so the concept of attractiveness isn’t even an idea (focused on other factors) some studies use artificial scenarios so findings lack validity
What is a filter according to the filter theory
A filter is a type of criterion which helps determine who will be the best match for us - we can then pick out who would be desirable to us from the smaller pool of prospects
- narrows down our fields of available - the people who are and would be available to us and represent the best choice in terms of potential partner
Outline social demography component of the filter theory?
- first filter
- revolves around fact we only meet a very small fraction of people living in our area (proximity filter) filter narrows it down to people in our area and we can date
- todays society it is less of a barrier due to advancements in transport, dating apps ext (we can reach more people further away ext)
Outline similarity in attitudes component of the filter theory?
- second filter
- most of whom we meet tend to be of a similar attitude (social class, education level, same ethnicity or racial group)
Outline complementarity component of the filter theory?
- third and final filter
- about personality types
- your field of available’s is being narrowed by what sort of person they are
Occurs in LT relationships
Explain the role of a complementarity filter in relationships?
- idea you do not have to be the same - can be opposite which brings out the best in you
- attraction of potential partner is filtered according to their ability to complement and meet our emotional needs
research suggests it is crucial in LT happiness
Explain how the filter theory was developed - mention work by Kerckhoff and Davis?
Kerckhoff and Davis longitudinal study involving comparison of ST couples with LT couples - over 7 month period, they gave couples questionnaires (LT longer than 18 months)
- found similarity in attitudes was most important factor up until 18 months - at this point in the relationship complementarity was the most important
show that different factors become important at different stages
Explain why using students for the filter theory is a criticism of work by Kerckhoff and Davis?
- social demography would have been much more important because students would be coming from varying places and thus unlikely to want to get in a relationship with someone who will be moving back further away after uni
might not be applicable to all people - especially adults
Outline evaluation points of the filter theory - give 4?
- consistent with matching hypothesis - says that we are likely to get in relationship with people you match (strength)
- cannot establish causality - maybe similarity of partners increase over time (weakness)
- temporal validity - does the model explain attraction for relationships in 2025 (highly diverse and mobile society with access to all different media which was not the case when theory was developed - can have long distance relationships easily) (weakness)
- might not be applicable to all couples - based on students (low generalisability) - less valid in all cultural (cultural and religious limitations) (weakness)
