Evaluation

• Support of the filter theory?

  It is thought to have face validity.

  • The importance of social demographic factors, similarity of attitudes & complementarity in developing attraction
  • is something that many people experience in their everyday life,
  • meaning that filter theory has face validity,
  • as people can relate to it with intuitive 'this makes sense' understanding.
• Support of the filter theory?

  The avg age diff between partners is 2-3 yrs, female younger. Sub cultural evidence suggests that racial groups tend to marry within themselves. this shows that indeed social demography determines who we find attractive
• against filter theory?

  Lacks temporal validity. The rise of online dating in recent years has made meeting partners easier, and therefore we are more likely to meet individuals outside of the usual demographic limits than we would have years ago

  • filter theory is no longer relevant
• against filter theory?

  highly unlikely that filters sole reason why we would find individuals attractive

  • see cons of physical attractiveness- this is the same
  • sprecher
  • murstein
• negative of filter theory?


  Determinism- the theory assumes we make unconscious decisions based on the filters, What about being able to make conscious choices? Free will?
• negative of filter theory?

  Reductionism- over-simplistic to assume partner choice is just down to a set of filters. What about other factors such as biological factors, attachment relationships in childhood? In evolution, our ancestors chose a mate on the basis of survival - it would be much more sensible to take a holistic approach considering an interaction of many factors when explaining romantic partner choice