filter theory Flashcards
How did filter theory develop?
Kerckhoff and Davis compared attitudes of couples in short term and long term
What are the levels of filter?
Social demography
Similarity in attitudes
Complementarity
What is a field of availables?
Entire set of potential partners
Not all of these are desirable
Narrows down to field of desirables
What is social demography?
Factors which influence chances of meeting partner
Geography, social class, religion etc
Accessibility - key benefit, doesn’t require much effort to meet these people
How are people filtered out using social demography?
Anyone who is too different is discounted
Outcome is homogamy - likely to form relationship with someone similar
What is similarity in attitudes?
Important in short term couples
Must agree over basic values
Encourages communication and self disclosure
What is the law of attraction?
Similarity causes attraction
Otherwise partners have little in common
What is complementarity?
Ability of partners to meet each other’s needs
Have traits the other lacks
Important in long term couples
Opposites attract later on
Adds depth - gives partners the feeling they form a whole
Evaluation - research support
Face validity - key factors in relationships change over time
Winch - evidence that similarity in personality is typical in early stages
Also found complementarity more important in marriage partners
Evaluation - failure to replicate
Levinger - studies failed to replicate original
Social changes over time
Difficulties in defining relationships in terms of length
K + D: long term = 18month+
Evaluation - direction of cause and effect
Anderson - partners become more similar over time (emotional convergence)
Davis and Rusbult - attitude alignment effect, partners over time bring attitudes in line with each other’s
Evaluation - lack of temporal validity
Online dating reduces importance of demographic variables
Meeting potential partners is easier
Pursue dates with people different to us
Evaluation - similarity or complementarity
Anderson - similarity over time increases
Gruber-Baldini - similarities between spouses (intellectual) increased over 14 years
