Factors affecting attraction: Filter theory

Question 1

What was Kerchoff and Davis study?

Answer 1

• compared the attitudes and personalities of students couples in short-term (less than 18 months) & long-term relationships

Question 2

What did Kerchoff and Davis devise to explain how romantic relationships develop?

Answer 2

• filter theory

Question 3

What is the filter theory?

Answer 3

• explanation of relationship formation that states that a series of different factors progressively reduces the range of available romantic partners to a much smaller pool of possibilities

Question 4

What are the three main factors that act as filters to narrow down our range of partner choice to a filed of desirables?

Answer 4

• social demography ( 1st level of filter)
• similarity in attitudes (2nd level of filter)
• complementarity (3rd level of filter)

Question 5

What is social demography? (1st level)

Answer 5

• refers to a wide range of factors (location, social class, level of education, ethnic group, religion etc)
• these filter out a large number of available partners
• our most meaningful & memorable interactions are with people who are nearby

Question 6

What is the outcome of this filtering?

Answer 6

• homogamy, more likely to form a relationship with someone who is socially or culturally similar
  e.g. ethnicity, religious beliefs, educational level etc

Question 7

What is similarity in attitudes? (2nd level)

Answer 7

• we find partners who share our basic values attractive in the earlier stages of a relationship
• we discount available individuals who differ from us in attitudes

Question 8

At what stage is similarity in attitudes important in a relationship?

Answer 8

• Kerchoff & Davis - only important in the development of romantic relationships for couples who have been together less than 18 months

Question 9

Why is there a need for partners to agree on basic values at the early stages of a relationship?

Answer 9

• encourages greater and deeper self-disclosure and promotes self-disclosure

Question 10

What is complementarity? (3rd level)

Answer 10

• concerns the ability of romantic partners to meet each others needs (need for partner to balance your traits with opposite ones of their own)
• ## e.g. submissive & dominance

Question 11

At what stage is complementarity important in a relationship?

Answer 11

• Kerchoff and Davis, need for complementarity was more important in long- term couple
• at a later stage of a relationship opposites attract

Question 12

What research support is there for the filter theory?

Answer 12

• Kerchoff & Davis original study
• conducted a longitudinal study > gave couples questionnaires to assess similarity in attitudes & complementarity
• relationship closeness measured by another questionnaire 7 months later
• Findings: closeness associated with ST couples (18 months)
• closeness associated with complementarity in LT couples
• supports..

Question 13

What is a limitation of complementarity?

Answer 13

• complementarity not central to all longer- term relationships
• prediction of filter theory = most satisfying partners are complementary e.g. dominant & submissive
• Markey & Markey, found that lesbian couples of equal dominance were the most satisfied (sample = together longer than 4.5 y)
• suggests SIA may be associated with LT satisfaction