Filter Theory 3

• Who created Filter Theory?

  Kerckhoff and Davis (1962)
• Kerckhoff and Davis (1962) filter theory procedure

  • Female and male university students (in relationships) surveyed
  • The survey asked about personalities, attitudes and their relationship. 
  • 7 months later a follow-up survey was conducted to see if there had been progression towards a permanent partnership. 
• What were the findings of Kerckhoff and Davis' study

  • Couples who had been together less than 18 months were more likely to have progressed towards permanency if they had similar values
  • Among couples who had been together for more than 18 months, it was couples who had complementary needs were more likely to have progressed towards a permanent partnership
• What are the three levels of filter?

  1. Social Demographic
  2. Similarity in Attitudes
  3. Complementary
• Describe Social Demographic (1st level of filter) 

  The realistic field of possible partners is shrunk because choices are narrowed by our social circumstances

  > Anyone who is ‘too different’, e.g. too far away or too middle class, is discounted as a potential partner.
• Give examples of what a social demographic filter would be?

  geographical locations (or proximity), social class, level of education, ethnic group, religion
• What is the outcome of the Social Demographic filter?

  Homogamy

  = you are more likely to form a relationship with someone who is socially or culturally similar.
• Describe Similarity in attitudes (2nd level of filter) 

  There is a need for partners in the earlier stages of a relationship to agree over basic values, the things that really matter to them. Encourages deeper communication, and promotes self-disclosure. 
• What was found by Kerckhoff and Davies in regards to the 'Similarity of Attitudes', (2nd level of filter)

  Found that similarity of attitudes was important to the development of romantic relationships, but only for the couples who had been together less than 18 months. 
• Describe the 'Complementary', the 3rd level of filter

  Ability of the romantic partners to meet each other's needs.

  Two partners complement each other when they have traits the other lacks
• What was found by Kerckhoff and Davies in regard to the 'complementary' third level of filter?

  found the need for complementarity was more important for long-term couples.

  = At a later stage of a relationship, ‘opposites attract’. Complementarity is attractive because it gives the two romantic partners the feeling that together, they are whole, adding depth to a relationship. 
• Research support for the filter theory of attraction

  Winch (1958)

  • surveyed 25 couples who had been married less than 2 years.
  • He found a significantly stronger correlation in spouses between complementary needs (e.g. needing to nurture others and needing to be nurtured) than between similar needs. 
• Who found evidence against the complementary filter?

  Markey and Markey (2013)

  lesbian couples of equal dominance were the most satisfied, having been in relationships for at least 4½ years. 
• Who conducted research into perceived similarity? Describe the study and findings.

  Meta-analysis of 313 studies by Matthew Montoya (2008). 

  • Found actual similarity affected attraction only in very short-term lab-based interactions = In real-world interactions, perceived similarity was a stronger prediction of attraction. 
  • Partners may perceive greater similarities as they become more attracted to each other.