Lesson 4 - FAA: Filter Theory

Question 1

What is filter theory?

Answer 1

The idea that the pool of prospective partners progressively reduces through three filters.

Question 2

Who developed filter theory?

Answer 2

Kerchoff and Davis (1962)

Question 3

Filter 1

Answer 3

Social Demography

• Based on social characteristics
• Can be age, ethnicity, proximity to you and the likelihood of meeting in person in the first place.
• This can therefore be restrictive, as this means that we generally meet people from our own social groups, areas, schools, or cultures.

Question 4

Filter 2

Answer 4

Similarity in attitudes

• Based on psychological characteristics
• Looks at whether people have the same attitudes, beliefs, values and morals.
• This is very important as a similarity in values at the start of a relationship can predict stability, especially if the relationship has lasted 18 months or less
• Through self disclosure can reveal these, and the partners can weigh up whether to continue the relationship

Question 5

Filter 3

Answer 5

Complementarity of needs

• Based on emotional characteristics
• Attraction at this stage is reliant on whether you have different needs that complement each other
• For example, one person might need to be cared for, and the other person likes to care for people
• There is mutual satisfaction, and opposing needs have been met

Question 6

Kerchoff and Davis’ study

Answer 6

• Conducted a longitudinal study of 94 couples from Duke University
• Each person answered 2 questionnaire to measure their degree of shared attitudes (filter 2) and complementarity of needs (filter 3) to assess their closeness
• The couples were divided into two groups, lasted less than 18 months or more than 18 months.

Findings

• Short term partners (less than 18 months) found that similarity of attitudes was more important for closeness
• Long term partners (more than 18 months) found that complementarity of needs was more important for closeness.

Therefore, long and short term relationships rely on different filters to predict closeness in a relationship

Question 7

Strengths of filter theory

Answer 7

• Kerchoff and Davis’ study shows that similarity is important in the early stages, and complementarity is important in the later stages
• Taylor (2010) found that 85% of Americans married in 2008 married someone from their ethnicity, supporting the idea of filter 1 (social demography)
• Hoyle (1993) found that perceived attitude similarity is more important for attraction than actual attitude similarity. This is further supported by Tidwell who conducted a speed dating event. He measured actual and perceived similarities of attitudes using a questionnaire and found similar results. This supports the idea of filter 2

Question 8

Weaknesses of filter theory

Answer 8

• Levinger (1970) found that many studies failed to replicate Kerchoff and Davis. Levinger conducted research using 330 couples and found no evidence of similarity of attitudes and complementarity being important when looking at the permanence of the relationship.
• It is also disputable on what the cut off for short/long term is. K&D say it is 18 months.
• Anderson (2003) disputed the idea that people become close due to similar characteristic and demography. In a longitudinal study, he found that cohabiting partners become similar in attitudes over time which increased attraction. This is called ‘emotional convergence’
• Online dating lacks support for this. There is a reduction in the variable of social demography as it is easier to meet someone who lives further away or that is a different ethnicity. Therefore it lacks temporal validity.