factors affecting attraction Flashcards
self-disclosure, physical attraction, and filter theory
what is self-disclosure?
the process of revealing personal information about yourself to another person in order to build trust and intimacy
what is social penetration theory?
- suggests that relationships are a gradual process of revealing your inner self to someone
- it involves the reciprocal exchange of information between partners, which leads to a deep understanding of each others lives
- when one person reveals personal information, it shows trust towards the other person
- as each partner reveals more information, they ‘penetrate’ more into each others lives - gaining a greater understanding and connection
- there are two elements - breadth and depth
what is reciprocity?
the mutual exchange of information - there is a balance of self-disclosure in successful romantic relationships
a strength of self-disclosure is that there is supporting evidence:
- sprecner and hendrick found a strong positive correlation between relationship satisfaction and self-disclosure
- supports the idea that self-disclosure can lead to attraction and greater satisfaction in a relationship
- counterpoint - research is correlational, and the study only included heterosexual couples
a strength of self-disclosure is that it has real world applications:
- research into self-disclosure can help people who want to improve communication
- romantic partners can use self-disclosure to increase intimacy and strengthen their bond
- hass and stafford found that 57% of gay men and women said that open and honest self-disclosure was the main way to maintain a happy relationship
- this demonstrates the importance of psychological research in providing effective counselling
a weakness of self-disclosure is that research is correlational:
- although research supports the idea of self-disclosure, cause and effect cannot be established
- greater self-disclosure could be a result of having greater satisfaction in a relationship, not the other way around
- caution should be taken when drawing conclusions from research, which weakens the support for the theory
a weakness of self-disclosure is that it is culturally biased:
- the idea that self-disclosure will lead to a more satisfying relationship does not apply to all cultures
- tang et al reviewed research regarding sexual self-disclosure - they concluded that individualist cultures disclose significantly more than collectivist cultures
- this weakens the explanation, as it cannot be applied to all cultures
what is the matching hypothesis?
a theory which suggests that people are more likely to form romantic partnerships with individuals who’s level of attraction is similar to their own
what are the assumptions of the matching hypothesis?
- people assess their own value and aim to select a partner who is a good match
- choosing a partner who is similarly attractive lowers the chances of rejection, as they are more likely to view the partner as socially desirable
what is the halo effect?
a cognitive bias where we assume that someone’s physical appearance influences their other qualities
why does the halo effect happen?
our brains naturally look for shortcuts when processing information - when someone is attractive, we may believe that they are better overall
what is the supporting evidence for the halo effect?
- dion et al
- dion and colleagues asked participants to rate people based on photographs
- participants were rated as more sociable, successful and kind if they were more attractive
- this shows how physical appearance can shape our perceptions of personality and competence
a strength of physical attraction as a factor in a relationship is that there are cross cultural studies:
- white asian and hispanic males both rated females with prominent cheekbones, small noses and large eyes are more attractive
- universality of findings suggests that using attractiveness as a decisive factor in choosing a partner is a genetic mechanism
a strength of physical attraction as a factor in relationships is that there is supporting evidence for the matching hypothesis:
- it was found that rating wives attractiveness was positively correlated to their husbands satisfaction
- counterpoint - rating husbands attractiveness was not related to their wives satisfaction. this shows that there are gender differences in how important attractiveness is
a weakness of physical attraction is that it does not account for individual differences:
- people place importance on different things - not just appearance
- research was conducted where participants were given photos of strangers, as well as some biographical information about them
- they were asked to rate how much they liked the person in the photo
- it was found that physical attractiveness was more important for participants who displayed sexist attitudes
a weakness of physical attractiveness as a factor in a relationship is that it is reductionist:
- this means that it overemphasises physical attractiveness and overlooks emotional, intellectual, and personality traits
- as well as this, they only apply to short term relationships - when choosing a long term partner, people tend to focus on similarity of values, rather than attractiveness
what is filter theory?
a theory which suggests that we choose romantic partners by using a series of filters which narrow down the field, allowing us to make a choice
who constructed the filter theory?
kerckhoff and davis
what are the three filters in the filter theory?
social demography, similarity in attitudes, and complementarity
what is social demography?
- factors like geographical proximity, social class, education level, and religion influence the likelihood of individuals meeting and forming relationships
- differences in these factors makes relationships less likely to form, as the opportunity for connection decreases
what is similarity in attitudes?
- sharing core values, beliefs, and interests - like political views, morals, ethics, etc
- this is important in the early stages of a relationship, as it leads to deeper connections
- having different values and beliefs leads to conflicts and disagreements
what complementarity?
- how well partners meet each others needs by having traits that complement one another
- this is important in long term relationships
- if two people have the same kind of personal characteristics then they may find it difficult to cope
a strength of filter theory is that it has face validity:
- it states that key factors in a relationship change over time - this agrees with most people’s experiences of relationships
- furthermore, there is supporting research from winch - similarities in personality, interests and attitudes between partners are common in the early stages of a relationship
- this demonstrates the applicability of filter theory, and supports it with empirical evidence
- counterpoint - winch’s research was based on western norms, and is nomothetic
a weakness of filter theory is that it lacks temporal validity:
- geographical proximity has less influence over how people form relationships
- the increase in technology and dating sites means that people can meet from different areas of the world
- this implies that filter theory is no longer a valid theory of attraction and can no longer explain modern dating patterns
- as well as this, it may be deterministic as it overemphasises fixed stages of a relationship, rather than considering individual agency and changing societal trends
