Filter Theory

• Who created the idea of Filter Theory?

  Kerckhoff and Davies
• What study did Kerckhoff and Davies do?

  • Compared the attitudes and personalities of student couples in short-term and less than 18 months and long term relationships
  • They devised a filter theory to explain how romantic relationships develop
• What is Filter Theory?

  • We all have a 'field of availables' - all potential partners
  • There are three main filters which we use to narrow our partner choice to a 'field of desirables' - Those who share our attitudes, values and interests
• What is the first filter in filter theory?

  • Social Demography
  • You are more likely to meet people who are physically close and share features like class with you
  • Anyone too different will be filtered
  • Our most meaningful and memorable interactions are with people who are nearby - The key benefit of proximity is accessibility
• According to the first filter what is Homogamy?

  • Anyone who is too different is discounted
  • You are more likely to develop a relationship with someone who is socially / culturally similar
• What is the second filter in filter theory?

  • Similarities in attitudes
  • The field of available has been narrowed by the 1st filter to those who have significant social and cultural characteristics in common
  • Sharing beliefs and values is important for relationships of less than 18 months
  • Need for partners in the early stages to agree over basic values - This encourages greater and deeper self disclosure
• According to the second filter what is the law of attraction?

  • Similarity in attitudes causes mutual attraction
  • If not the relationship will fizzle out
• What is the third filter in filter theory?

  • Complementarity
  • This concerns how each partner meets each others needs
  • Partners complement each other when they have traits the other lacks - Important in longer term / later stages of a relationship
  • Together they form a whole
• Strength of Filter Theory - Supporting Evidence:

  • Peter Winch
  • Found evidence that similarities of personality, interests and attitudes between partners are typical of the earliest stages of a relationship
  • This echoes the matching hypothesis
  • Between partners happily married for several years, complementarity of needs is more important than similarity
• Limitation of Filter Theory - Direction of cause and effect

  • Anderson et al
  • Longitudinal Study
  • Found that cohabiting couples became more similar in their emotional responses over time
• Limitation of Filter Theory -Lack of Temporal Validity:

  • The rise of online dating has evolved significantly over time
  • It has reduced the importance of some social demographic variables
  • Dating apps have made it much easier to meet potential partners outside the usual demographic limits