filter theory

• field of available is narrowed down to field of desirable = field of people who could be attractive, you filter down the ones you aren't attracted to
• Kerchoff and Davis (1962): compared values and attitudes of long-term and short term couples, defining short term as 18 months or less
• three main filters of the theory:

  1. social demography; study of human population, people who are similar to you; class, area, religion or education = influences chance to meet a partner with more meaningful interactions
  2. attitudes; most important in short term, political, ambition, children views = encourages deeper communication and self-disclosure
  3. complementarity; most important in long term, ability to meet eachothers needs; risk and responsibility, cooking ability = helps to add depth, creating a whole relationship
• homogamy; forming relationships with those who are socially and culturally similar to you
• Byrne (!997): found similarity is a part of the 'law of attraction', if this is not there, the relationship frizzles out
• evaluation:

  strength;

  • kerchoff and Davies; longitudinal study, real world application with high ecological validity .
  • Taylor (2010): found people are more likely to marry someone with their own ethnic group - supports social demography

  weakness;

  • lack of temporal validity, social demography is not modern and up to date, secularisation
  • individual difference; doesnt apply to all couples, homosexual couples