the matching hypothesis Flashcards
what is the matching hypothesis
claims that when people look for a romantic relationship they tend to look for someone whose level of physical attractiveness matches there own
outline how the matching hypothesis would work
- individuals first assess their own value and select the best available candidate who would most likely be physically attracted to them
why is the matching hypothesis important in selecting a partner
by opting for a partners of similar physical attractiveness they maximise their chance of a successful outcome
- if they pursue a partner who is more physically attractive then them they risk rejection
- which would not make evolutionary sense as they will not have the opportunity to reproduce and pass their genes on
a strength of the matching hypothesis is that there is supporting evidence from murstein
- aimed to find out if both partners in a established romantic relationship were perceived as matched for physical attractiveness
- photographed several partners in romantic relationships separately
- then scored for physical attractiveness by independent judges using a 5 point scale
- ptps also rated their own and their partners physical attractiveness
- both the partners and the judges had to rate a control group of randomly sorted fake couples
- found that real life couples had very similar ratings and were significantly more alike than the ratings given to random couples
- how partners rated themselves was also significantly more similar than self ratings by random couples
- this is a strength as mursteins study supports the matching hypothesis theory because it suggests ppl are more likely to form relationships with those who are equally attractive
- therefore providing the matching hypothesis with validity
counter argument to murstein
- a limitation to mursteins supporting study is that the use of photos might limit the internal validity of the research
- 2d photographs may not accurately represent the attractiveness of the individuals and may obscure differences in their levels of attractiveness
- this could impact on the rating that the judges gave the photographs and therefore make the results of the study invalid
- its therefore possible that the ptps were not as well matched as the judges ratings suggest meaning that the support for the matching hypothesis as a factor in attraction is limited
a limitation of the murstein study is that it doesnt establish cause and effect
- mursteins research demonstrates a clear positive correlation between the ratings of the real couples photos
- this suggests that people form relationships with those who are equally as attractive as themselves but cannot prove that this is the only reason a relationship is initiated
- this is a limitation as people come to a relationship offering many desirable characteristics and physical attractiveness is only one of them
- a person may compensate for a lack of physical attractiveness with other desirable qualities such as a charming personality
- tendency to compensate has been termed complex matching
- therefore looking at the matching hypothesis alone is too simplistic to explain attraction
a limitation of the matching hypothesis is that the theory suffers from cultural bias
- matching for looks may be more important in individualistic cultures where couples form relationships voluntarily and relationships can be temporary
- in collectivist cultures where relationships are arranged and viewed as permanent greater importance is placed on economic considerations and family alliances
- this is a limitation as the matching hypothesis is better at explaining relationship formation in individualistic cultures rather than collectivist
- therefore the matching hypothesis might not be a valid theory of relationship formation in all cultures.
- it is not a universal theory
