Relationships-(Attraction + partner preferences) + (Theories of romantic Relationships) Flashcards
3 factors affecting overall attraction
-Physical attraction
-Self-disclosure
-Filter theory
what is found to be physically attractive in all people
Why
-Symmetrical faces = may indicate genetic fitness
-Faces with Neotenous features (baby-face) = trigger protective caring instinct and show fertility
what is found to be physically attractive in Men
-Mature features =
Square Jaw
Little eyes
Thin lips
what is found to be physically attractive in women
Childlike features =
-Large + widely separated eyes
-A small nose
-small chin
-narrow cheeks
The Halo effect
-Physical attractiveness has a disproportionate influence on the judgement of persons attributes e.g: personality
-Good looking people are ‘better people’ and are seen as more Kind, Strong, sociable and successful
-Karen Dion coined the phrase= ‘What is beautiful is good’
The Matching hypothesis theory
-People choose romantic partners who are roughly similar physical attractiveness to themselves
-We make a realistic judgement of our own value to a potential partner
Because
If they’re not as attractive as us = settling too much
Ig they’re too attractive = aiming too high, avoid being rejected
On the whole, physical attraction is important in…
attraction and thus the formation of relationships
Key points of Self disclosure
-SD is important in forming relationships
-Revealing personal information about yourself
-The more we learn about a person, the more we like them
-The more we share, the more our partner understands us
-Self disclosure is a key component of the Social Penetration theory
p
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the Social Penetration theory
factors
_developed by Altman + Taylor 1973
-as you disclose more and more, you ‘penetrate ‘ more deeply into each others lives
-Two elements = breadth + depth
-breadth = start of rel. = superficial info
-Depth= As it develops
-As the rel. develops, remove more layers to reveal true selves (^in breadth + depth)
-Eventually willing to reveal high risk info
- Reciprocity, Reward, balance = factors which have positive effects
How are Reciprocity, Reward, balance factors which have positive effects on self disclosure
Reciprocity is vital
partner responds in rewarding way = understanding, empathy, their own thoughts and feelings
Balance of SD increases feelings of intimacy
On the whole, the self disclosure theory suggests that
Self disclosure affects levels of attraction
Who developed the Filter theory
Kerckhoff + Davis (1962)
Three main filters in Filter theory
Social demography
Similarity in attitudes
Complementarity
What is Social demography in the filter theory
outcome
Factors influencing chance of potential partners meeting
-Geographical location, social class, level of education, ethnic group, religion…
-More likely to meet people who are close.
-Key benefit of this is accessibility
-others who are too ‘different’ are discounted
-Outcome of this filter = homogamy = more likely to form relationships with those who are socially and culturally similar
What is similarity in attitudes in filter theory
partners often share important beliefs and values, partially due to social demography
-Found this is only important for relationships less than 18 months
- higher need for agreement in early stages as this promotes greater communication and Self Disclosure
-Without similarity and things in common, relationships is likely to fizzle out
What is complementarity
e.g:
Ability of romantic partners to meet each others needs. Two partners complement each other when they have traits the other lacks.
-E.g: one person loves laughing, other loves making jokes
-More important for long term couples
Evolutionary explanations of partner preferences
-Partner preferences are governed by…
which 2 theories is this linked to
-Partner preferences are governed by our innate drive to propagate our genes (reproduce)
-This is linked to both Sexual selection and parental investment theory
