A01 Filter Theory: Factors Affecting Attraction

• Filter theory


  Kerckhoff and Davis compared attitudes and personalities of student couples in short -term (less than 18 months) and long-term research. They determined a filter theory in explaining how such a romantic relationship form and develops.
• Social demogrpahy (1st level of filter)


  Refers to a wide range of potential partners meeting eachother in the first place. Includes geo locations, social class, level of education, ethnicity, religion and therfore our most meaningful/memorable interactions are with people nearby.
• Key benefit of social demography is accessibility as it does not require much effort to meet people who live in the same area. The realistic field of partners is much narrower as our choices are constrained by social cicrumstances. So, anyone who is too different from the social demography is discounted as a potential partner. Outcome of this fillering is homogamy.
• Homogamy

  the conscious or unconscious tendency to select a mate with personal characteristics similar to one's own like religion, ethnicity and education level.
• Similarity in attitudes (2nd level of filter)


  Partners will often share important beliefs and values, partly because the field of availables has already been narrowed by the first filter. Kerckoff and Davis similarity of attitudes was important to the development of romantic relationships but only for couples together less than 18 months. There is a need for partners in the early stages of a relationship to agree over basic values, the things that really matter to them which promotes self disclosure.
• Byrne et al


  Has consistent findings that similarity causes attraction as the 'law of attraction'. If such similarity does not exist, for example, it turns out that the partners have very little in common after all then they may go out a few times but the relationship is likely to collapse. Therfore, there is considerable evidence that most of us find similarity attractive.
• Complementarity


  Concerns the ability of romantic partners to meet each other's needs. The partners complement each other when they have traits the other lacks. Kerckhoff and Davis found the need for complementarity was more important for the long-term couples. Thus, at a later stage of a relationships, opposites attract.
• Complementarity and attractiveness


  Complementarity is attractive as it gives two romantic partners the feeling that together they form a whole, which adds depth to a relationship and makes it more likely to flourish.