filter theory and attraction Flashcards
What factors do both partners tend to share for romantic relationships to form
-geographical location
-ethnic group
-attitude
(Not always true)
What does the filter theory state
people help themselves in their selection of romantic partners by applying 3 levels of filters to candidates
Who proposed the filter theory
Kerckhoff and Davis 1962
What did Kerckhoff and Davis compare
attitudes and personalities of student couples in short term (U18) and long term relationships
What did Kerckhoff and Davis suggest about the filter theory
As we go through relationships our filter narrows down till we find the desirable one
What do gating features allow us to do
act as a filter allowing us to decide who is and who isn’t a potential partner
Where are gating features easily detected
Face to face interactions
What are gating features examples (physical)
- physical attractiveness
- age
- social class
- race
- sexuality
- gender
What are gating features examples not physical
- stuttering
- shyness
- social anxiety
How do gating features affect people negatively
prevents people who’re less attractive or socially competent from developing relationships
What is a way that you can bypass gating
online gating features aren’t immediately evident
How many levels of filters are there in filter theory
3
What does social demography refer to
factors that influence the chances of potential partners meeting each other
What are examples of social demography
- location
- social class
- education level
- ethnic group
- religion
What is assumed about potential partners
- they live close
- attended same school/uni
- similar social circles
According to the filter theory who’re you more likely to form relationships with
someone who’s socially culturally similar to you
What doesn’t social demography discount
possibility of relationships forming beyond these parameters
What could affect the chances or relationships forming
living far away from people
Why is it easier to from relationships when they live closer to you
less effort
What did Kerchhoff and Davis 1962 find
Similar attitudes were important to the development of romantic relationships only for couples less than 18 months
What do partners need to agree on in early stages
basic values
When agreeing on basic values what does it encourage
deeper communication and promotes self disclosure
What did Byrne (1997) find
most people found having similar attitudes attractive at the beginning of a relationship
What did Byrne conclude
similarity causes attraction and that relationships are less likely to last if there’s no similarity
When does complementarity happen
one partner has traits that the other one lacks
What is an example of complementarity
one partner being more dominant or confident in the relationship than the other
Why is complementarity attractive
creates the feeling that together the 2 ppl are whole adding depth to the relationship making it more likely to flourish
What did Kerckhoff and Davis find about the need for complementarity
opposites attract but only in the later stages of a relationship
What is the validity of the filter theory
- high face validity
- reflects most peoples experiences of romantic relationships
- particularly true of the way relationships change over time
What did Winch’s study in 1958 find
similarities in personality interests and attitudes between partners are typical of the earliest stages of a relationship
What did Winch find about complementary needs
it’s more important than similarity between partners who had been happily married for several years
Who’s study does Winch’s study support
Kerckhoff and davis conclusions
What does filter theory lack
temporal validity - predictions don’t stand up over time
What has the rise of internet and dating apps reduced the importance of
social and demographic variables
What does the internet increase the likelihood of
people pursuing a relationship outside their own social demographic
What did Levinger find
many studies have failed to replicate the original findings that formed the basis of the filter theory (reduced liability)
What did Levinger point towards
social changes over time and problems with defining the depth of relationships in term of length
What problem does assuming that a longer relationship is a deeper one create
when applying the filter theory to other heterosexual couples within individualistic cultures
What problems did Anderson et al find about the filter theory
In terms of cause and effect
What did a longitudinal study by anderson et al find out
cohabiting couples become more similar in their emotional responses over time (emotional convergence0
What did Davis and Rusbult discover
an attitude alignment effect in longer term relationships
What did romantic partners being over time
their attitudes into line with each other
What did Davis and rustbult find in their study
similarity is an effect of initial attraction and not a cause
What were anderson et al’s findings
similarity increases over time
What did anderson et als finding’s suggest
complementarity is not a particularly common feature of long term relationships
What did gruber-baldini carry out
longitudinal study of married couples
What did Gruber-baldini find
similarities between spouses in terms of intellectual ability and flexibility of attitudes increased over a 14yr period
