Factor: Filter theory

• Filter theory-

  • Field of availability into desirability
  • Kerckhoff + Davis - 1962
  • Compared values and attitudes of long/short term couples
  • Short term was less than 18 months
  • Filter theory of the formation and development of relationships
• Filter theory-

  1. Social demography- proximity, social class, education, ethnicity, religion = increases the chance of meeting someone + homogamy - outdated
  2. Attitudes- politics, marriage, kids, ambitions =most important for short term relationships + encouraging deeper connections + disclosure - Byrne said similarity is the law of attraction (declines without)
  3. Complementarity- talkative, cooking ability, olive theory = ability to meet each others needs + most important in the long term + adds depth to the whole relationship
• Filter theory-

  S- ecological validity - longitudinal study of 7 months

  S- shows attitude is focused in ST + complementarity in LT = different filters have higher importance at certain points

  S- consistent with matching hypothesis

  S- Taylor - people tend to marry into the same ethnicity = social demography filter

  W- Anderson et al - similar effects can be seen to be from attraction - longitudinal study

  W- temporal validity - social demography is outdated views

  W- Makey + Makey - individual differences = lesbians found equality to be more important than complementarity even in LT