Psychology/ Relationships

Question 1

What is Intrasexual selection?

Answer 1

Where the individuals of one sex must compete against other member of that sex to gain access to members of the other sex

Question 2

What is Intersexual Selection?

Answer 2

Where members of one sex evolve preferences for desirable qualities in potential mates.

Question 3

What is the key belief of sexual selection?

Answer 3

According to sexual selection its essentially stating that it pays to be choosy, as the genetic quality of the mate will determine half the genetic quality of any offspring. Low quality mates e.g. those that are unattractive and unhealthy will be more likely to produce an unattractive unhealthy baby

Question 4

What is mate selections

Answer 4

Males have to compete with other males and compete for the women’s since she’s ‘choosey’

Question 5

What did Buss and Schmitt conclude?

Answer 5

The less time a man is with a woman, the more he can mate. Men seek sex earlier in a relationship than women, and lose interest quickly. Men have an evolved adaption to prevent them staying to long with a women

Question 6

What further evidence is there for Sexual selection?

Answer 6

Clark and Hatfield. Asked uni students, 75% of males agreed to it, 0% of females agreed

Question 7

What are two evaluation points of sexual selection?

Answer 7

Reductionist - what about homosexual relationships, or couples who don’t have children. Focuses on fecundity
Validity - Self-report strategies
Gender Bias - (Alpha)

Question 8

What is equity theory?

Answer 8

Walster believed that people strive to achieve fairness in their relationship. Inequality has the potential to cause distress. This happens when one person gives it there all yet receive very little back from their partner

Question 9

What is the Filter theory?

Answer 9

Kerchoff and Davis’ believed that relationships develop through 3 filters and that different factors are important at different times. We move from: field of availables to field of desirables

Question 10

What are the three filters?

Answer 10

Demographic variables
Similarity in attitudes and values
meeting Emotional needs

Question 11

Summarise the three filters applying to a relationship

Answer 11

At the start of a relationship, Demographic variables are the most important factor. As the relationship develops, similar attitudes and values start becoming more important and for long-lasting relationships, compatibility is the most important filter

Question 12

What was Kerchoff and Davis’ study?

Answer 12

They questioned 94 US couples about their relationships and all of which supported the filter theory in their answers

Question 13

What study counteracted Kerchoff and Davis’?

Answer 13

Levinger et al replicated their study and failed to find the same results. He found no significant links between the length of the relationships and the different filters. This therefore questions the temporal validity of Kerchoff and Davis’ study

Question 14

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 14

The belief that people tend to form relationships with those of equal attractiveness. But people who dont match on physical attractiveness may be trading other assets i.e. wealth, humour or status

Question 15

What was the study that Walster carried out to support The matching Hypothesis?

Answer 15

He got people to meet before a dance and spend some time chatting. This time, having to got to know each other a little, the students involved were more likely to express the most liking to those with similar attractiveness levels

Question 16

What are two evaluation points of the Matching hypothesis? - -

Answer 16

-Sex differences in attraction (Beta Bias)
-Cultural influences

Question 17

How does natural selection apply to selection of partners in humans?

Answer 17

Partner choice is driven by the desire to have children who survive and go on to reproduce themselves

Question 18

What is male-female dimorphism?

Answer 18

Males and females display secondary sexual characteristics that are an indication of good physical and genetic health. These are selected for by both genders becoming more common

Question 19

What did Buss find supporting the idea of what males look for in females?

Answer 19

Surveyed 10,000 adults in 33 cultures there was a pattern of male selecting women of a younger age and good looks. Females prioritised resources

Question 20

What study did Clark and Hatfield carry out?

Answer 20

When asked by an attractive researcher 50% of both genders agreed to date, but 0% of females agreed to have sex compared to 75% of males

Question 21

Why is research often criticised as socially insensitive?

Answer 21

It shames women for their sexual behaviour, if these differences are exaggerated it would be a type of gender bias called alpha bias

Question 22

Why is self-disclosure thought to be an important factor in attraction?

Answer 22

We reveal more information to people we like, self disclosure from others suggests they like and trust us

Question 23

Define reciprocity in relation to self disclosure?

Answer 23

Relationships onnly develop if both induviduals disclose information and resopnd appropriately

Question 24

How was self-disclosure studied by Spreecher and Hendrick

Answer 24

Observation of students dating and their self disclosure showed men and women had similar levels of self-disclosure and there was a positive relationship satisfaction

Question 25

How does the filter theory lack temporal validity?

Answer 25

Use of dating apps i.e. tinder breaks down filters like social demographics which doesn’t filter for social class or education, making physical attraction more important

Question 26

Why are we attracted to people who are physically good looking? and what is the halo effect?

Answer 26

Evolutionary theory suggests that good looks is an indication of food genes. The halo effect is people associate other positive characteristics to people who are attractive

Question 27

What is the matching hypothesis?

Answer 27

We all wish to mate with attractive individuals, but we pick our partner after a realistic appraisal of our own attractiveness level. This avoids the pain or rejection

Question 28

How has the matching hypothesis been studied?

Answer 28

Photographs of 197 couples where cut and each individual in the couple judged individually for attractiveness. People were given similar attractiveness ratings compared to randomly matched pairs

Question 29

What is social exchange theory?

Answer 29

Thibault and Kelly an economic theory with partners seeing most relationships similar to business performing cost benefit analysis, maximising rewards and minimising losses. This is the min max principle

Question 30

What is a comparison level according to SET?

Answer 30

Comparing our relationship to previous relationships/ other peoples relationships/ relationships in the media to get an idea of how rewarding relationships should be

Question 31

How has SET been studied?

Answer 31

Spreecher. 101 dating couples. If availability of alternative partners increased levels of satisfaction and commitment decreased. Suggesting when no alternative satisfaction is higher, or alternative are less attractive when satisfied

Question 32

What is equity theory?

Answer 32

Development if SET economic model by Hatfield, including equalirt in the economic model. Equality is the balance of rewards and costs being the same for both partners, even if particular rewards and costs are different. One puts in more, gets more out

Question 33

How has equity theory been studied?

Answer 33

Self report on married couples, measuring percieved equity and contentment/relationship stability. Found partners in equal relaitonships=higher commitment/ happier than either over or under benefit partners. No sex differences in desire for equality

Question 34

How has equity theory been studied?

Answer 34

Self report on married couples, measuring percieved equity and contentment/relationship stability. Found partners in equal relaitonships=higher commitment/ happier than either over or under benefit partners. No sex differences in desire for equality

Question 35

What is investment theory?

Answer 35

Development of SET, including a consideration of how much has been invested in the current realtionship, not just current satisfaction.

Question 36

What are the categories of investment?

Answer 36

Intrinsic: recourses placed directly into the relationship like emotional work, time an self disclosures. Extrinsic: resources originally outside if the relationship that are now connected to relationship i.e. shared friends, material possessions