Relationships: Filter theory Flashcards
What is filter theory
- People FILTER possible mates from a range of eligible candidates.
- We start with proximity variables such as GEOGRAPHICAL location.
-> then move to more SIMILARITY variables such as RACE and SOCIAL class. - We then move onto COMPLEMENTARY variables, where we are likely to seek PERSONALITY characteristics which COMPLEMENT our own values and makes up for what we are lacking.
What are the 3 filters (Kerchkoff and Davis)
- Social demographic filter
- Similarity in attitudes filter
- Complimentarity filter
What is the social demographic filter? (filter 1)
- most of those we meet tend to be of a similar social class.
-> education level and maybe even the same ethnicity or racial group. - Anyone ‘too different’ is discounted.
- outcome is homogamy -> form relationships with someone who is socially or culturally similar.
- Age, location, ethnicity, religion.
What is the ‘Similarity in attitudes filter’ (filter 2)
- Better to agree over basic values as it encourages greater and deeper communication and promotes self-disclosure.
- Byrne -> ‘law of attraction’ -> findings suggest similarity of attitudes encourages a relationships to flourish.
-> positive correlation between attitudes associated with a person and an attraction to that person. - basic values and attitudes.
What is the complementarity filter (3rd filter)
- seek personality characteristics which complement own values and makes up for what we lack, e.g.:
- Made to laugh vs making one laugh
- dominant vs submissive
- nurtured vs to nurture
-> opposites attract in the relationship as you become a whole and flourish.
Explain Kerchkoff and Davis’ study on the filter theory. (Survey of Uni students)
- Survey of female university students and their male partners who were considering marriage.
-> personalities, attitudes and their relationship. - 7 months later they completed a follow-up survey about progression.
- Couples who had been together for <18 months were more likely to progress towards marriage if they had similar values.
- > 18 months, it was couples who had complementary needs.
List the evaluations for the filter theory
Positive:
- support from research
Negative:
- failure to replicate
- does not explain cause and effect
- lack of temporal validity
(+) explain how the filter theory is supported by research -> (Winch)
- Winch (1958) found similarities of personality, interests and attitudes are typical in the earliest stages of relationships.
-> Between married partners, complementing each other is more important than similarity.
(-) explain how the filter theory is hard to test or replicate in research (Levinger)
- Levinger (1974) pointed out many studies have failed to replicate original findings that formed the basis of filter theory.
- Highlights problems in applying filter theory to heterosexual couples in individualist cultures, never mind to homosexual partners or other cultures.
(-) explain how the filter theory does not explain cause and effect (Anderson) (Davis and Rusbult)
- FT suggests people are initially attracted to each other because they are similar.
- however, Anderson et al. (2003) found cohabiting partners became more similar in their emotional responses over time, a phenomenon called emotional convergence -> were not similar to begin with.
- Davis and Rusbult (2001) discovered an attitude alignment effect in longer-term relationships -> attitudes become similar over time rather than similar in the first place.
(-) Explain how the filter theory lacks temporal validity
- Rise of online dating has reduced the importance of social demographic variables.
- Mobile apps like Tinder, have made meeting partners easier than ever.
- May pursue relationships with someone outside the usual demographic limits (e.g. culture or social class).
