Filter theory

• Kerckhoff and Davis (1962) proposed the filter theory of attraction. We are initially exposed to a ‘field of availables’ but, in order to form relationships, we must narrow down this field into a ‘field of desirables’, using the 3 filters of social demography, similarity in attitudes and complementarity. The importance of each filter depends on whether the relationship is short-term or long-term.
• Stage one - Social demography describes the factors which can make potential partners attractive to us, this includes religion, sexuality, ethnicity, social class, educational attainment and proximity. Two people sharing similar social demographic features are more likely to find each other attractive. Proximity is key because it provides accessibility, which makes communication and relationship formation between both parties easier. Therefore, close proximity between two individuals may ‘trump’ dissimilarities in other social demographic features.
• Stage two - Similarity in attitudes, which is particularly important in short-term relationships (eg - less than 18 months in duration). This describes basic similarities in terms of core beliefs about significant topics, such as love, sex and religion. Large dissimilarities in the attitudes expressed between two partners may cause the relationship to end, because of the incompatability that would result in the long-term.
• Stage three - Complementarity. A relationship is more likely to be successful if two people feel that they ‘complete’ each other to form a ‘whole’, therefore supporting the common belief that opposites attract (eg - a sociable individual will enjoy encouraging their partner to partake in more activities, which in turn means that the partner will enjoy and benefit themselves from improved social skills).
• Strengths of the filter theory:

  • Supporting evidence - Winch found that initial similarities in beliefs and attitudes were cited as one of the main attractive features in the partners of respondents, which is in line with the predictions made by the matching hypothesis, as well as increasing the validity of filter theory as a way of narrowing the field of availables down to a field of desirables. Therefore, this suggests that even in the modern age, filter theory and the matching hypothesis are still valid explanations of relationship formation.
• Strengths of the filter theory:

  • Supporting studies - Gruber-Baldini carried out a longitudinal study of couples aged 21 and found that those who were similar in educational level and age at the start of the relationship were more likely to stay together and have a successful relationships. This demonstrates the importance of sociodemographic factors, such as age and location, supporting the idea that people are more likely to meet and build relationships with people who are geographically close and share similarities in terms of age, education, etc.
• Limitations of the filter theory:

  • Limited validity - May have been considered a valid explanation but only before the use of online dating. Such technological advances mean that our ‘field of desirables’ is further increased because we are not restricted by certain social demographics (eg - proximity and social class) because we have the ability to communicate with potential partners before meeting them and potentially starting a relationship. This means that it may lack temporal validity because it can only explain dating phenomena which have been restricted to the era before the internet.
• Limitations of the filter theory:

  • Contradicting evidence - Anderson argued, from the results of their longitudinal study, that emotional responses of partners in long-term relationships become more alike over time rather than being similar from the start. Similarly, Davis and Rusbult found that attitudes in long-term couples become aligned with time, suggesting that similarity of attitudes is an effect of attraction rather than a cause. This contradicts the claims made by the Filter Theory, which claims that people need to have similar attitudes from the start for relationships to develop