Factors Affecting Attraction In Romantic Relationships (Filter theory) Flashcards
what does the filter theory of attraction (Kerckhoff and Davis,1962) suggest?
three main factors which act as filters to narrow down the range of partner choice from a ‘field of availables’.
what does the filtering process leave us with?
th all the people we could realistically form a relationship known as the ‘Field of Desirables’.
what happens according to the theory?
different filters are prominent at
different stages of partner selection.
What are the three filters?
Social Demography, Similarity in
Attitudes and Complementarity of Needs
what does social demography refer to?
collectively to a wide range of variables which influence the chance
of meeting potential partners.
What do the variables in social demography include?
age, social background, level of
education, religion and geographical location
what do social circumstances do and what does this result in?
reduce the range of people that are realistically available for us to meet.
Therefore, when we do meet people
whom we share one or more demographic factors, these people feel similar to us and hence
we feel more at ease with them. Consequently, we find them more attractive because we have something in common with them.
In the first filtering stage, what does attraction have more to do with?
social rather than individual characteristics.
what does the second filter involve?
individuals’ psychological characteristics
social rather than individual characteristics.
What did Kerckhoff and Davis find?
-that agreement in attitudes and basic values was of central importance at the start of a
relationship and the best predictor of the relationship becoming stable. -Through disclosures to each other, individuals can weigh up whether to continue or terminate the relationship.
what will an individual who considers themselves different in terms of attitudes to the potential partner do?
will ‘filter out’ this person from the field, as they will not be deemed suitable material for a long-term relationship.
what does the final filter involve?
involves an assessment of the complementarity of needs.
Why do people who have different needs like each other and why is this important?
-Because they provide each other with mutual satisfaction
-This is important, because finding
a partner who complements them ensures that their own needs are likely to be met.
Kerckhoff & Davis found that the need for complementarity was more important for long- term couples.
