Filter theory

• What is the filter theory as a factor affecting attraction?

  • Kerckhoff & Davis (1962): a way of choosing romantic partners by using a series of filters that narrow down the 'field of availables' as not everyone who is desirable is available
  • Compared student couples in short (18 months) and long-term relationships and found 3 main filters they used to select a partner
• What is filter 1: social demography? What is homogamy?

  • Depends on location/proximity, social class, level of education, ethnic group, religion, etc.
  • Field of available partners narrows down due to social constraints - anyone too different is discounted as a potential partner
  • Homogamy: high likelihood to form a relationship with someone we are socially or culturally similar to due to having more in common
• What is filter 2: similarity in attitudes?

  • Having agreement over basic values leads to deeper connections in early stages of a relationship
  • Byme (1997): law of attraction = similarity causes attraction and without this, a relationship is likely to fizzle out
• What is filter 3: complementarity?

  • Suggests we are attracted to those who have traits that we lack, making the couple feel as they they form a 'whole' together
  • For example, someone who likes to be nurtured in a relationship with someone who likes to nurture
  • More important for long-term relationships as it makes it more likely to flourish
• What is a strength of the filter theory?

  • Research support: Festinger et al (1950) observed friendships that formed in a block of 17 buildings for students
  • Found that students were 10x as likely to make friends with people who lived in their own building
  • Most popular people lived nearest to the staircases and postboxes because they were most likely to be 'bumped into'
  • Supports social demography filter
• What is a limitation of the filter theory?

  • Perceived similarity: where an individual believes the other person to be similar to them, which is more important than actual similarity
  • Montoya et al. (2008): meta-analysis found that perceived similarity was a stronger prediction of attraction and actual similarity only affected attraction in short-term lab based interactions
  • Weakens validity of the theory
• What is another limitation of the filter theory?

  • Complementarity may not be central to all long-term relationships - Markey and Markey (2013): lesbian couples of equal dominance were the most satisfied out of a sample of couples lasting for a mean time of over 4.5 years
  • Suggests in some couples it is similarity of needs rather than complementarity that is associated with long-term satisfaction