Filter Theory

• Filter Theory


  an explanation of relationship formation

  suggests there are several important criteria i.e. filters as they help people to sift through all potential partners to choose the right one.
• Kerckhoff and Davis


  compared attitudes and personalities of student couples in short and long term relationships.

  field of availables - entire set of potential romantic partners, people we could realistically form a relationship with.

  field of desirables - range of partner choice after filtering
• Social Demography


  Refers to variables such as age, social background and location, which determine the likelihood of individuals meeting in the first place.

  includes:

  - geographical location (proximity)

  - social class

  - level of education

  - ethnic group

  - religion
• Similarities in Attitudes


  Find partners who share our basic values attractive in earlier stages of a relationship. We tend to discount available individuals who differ in their attitudes.

  
  

  there's a need for partners in early stages of a relationship to agree over basic values, encouraging greater + deeper communication and promotes self-disclosure.
• Complementarity


  Concerns the ability of romantic partners to meet each others' needs.

  Similarity becomes less important as a relationship develops and is replaced by a need for your partners to balance your traits with opposite ones of their own.
• Strength - Supporting Research for the Filter Theory

  evidence to support that filter theory is an important predictors of progression and initial development of a relationship (Winch)

  found initial similarities in beliefs and attitudes were cited as one of the main attractive features in partners of respondents.

  Strength - suggests that even in modern age, filter theory and matching hypothesis are still valid explanations of relationship formation.
• Strength - Research Support for Filter Theory

  Festinger et al observed friendships that formed in a block of apartments for married students across 17 buildings.

  most popular people lived closest for staircases and post boxes, as these students were most likely to be 'bumped into' and had the most contact and formed friendships with other residents.

  Strength - supports the concept of social demography within filter theory as a factor affecting attraction. Further supported by idea that our most meaningful and memorable interactions are with the people nearby.
• Weakness - Limitation of Filter Theory

  was only valid before the increased of use of internet and online dating. Such technological advances mean our 'field of desirables' is increased as we aren't restricted by certain social demographies.

  we have ability to communicate with potential partners before meeting them.

  Weakness - these social changes in dating bring into question the temporal validity of filter theory as factor affecting attraction.
• Weakness - Lack of Replication of Original Findings

  Levinger suggested that social change and difficulties in defining depth in relationship could be the reason for lack of replicability.

  Kerckhoff and Davis chose an 18-month cut off point to distinguish between short and long-term relationships. assumed partners who had been together longer than this were more committed and had a deeper relationship.

  Weakness - highlights the problems in applying filter theory even to other heterosexual couples individualistic cultures, nevermind to homosexual partners or relationships in another culture.

  
  

  Some couples take longer than 18 months to establish a similarity of attitudes and complementarity, while other skip socio-demographic filters completely and feel they are ready to commit to long-term relationships earlier than 18months.