Outline and Evaluate Filter Theory as a Factor Affecting Attraction in Romantic Relationships PDF

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ESSAY ON FACTORS AFFECTING ATTRACTION IN ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS...

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Outline and Evaluate Filter Theory as a Factor Affecting Attraction in Romantic Relationships Filter theory suggests another factor which affects attraction. This idea says that people ‘filter’ mates from a field of availables, down to a field of desirables. There are three levels of filter shown. The first is related to social demography, where you are more likely to meet people who are similar to you, in terms of social status and race. The second filter is similarity in attitudes – partners need to agree on basic values, which later encourages self-disclosure. Finally, the third filter is complementarity; you must be able to meet a partner’s needs. Filter theory is supported by a wealth of evidence. Kerchoff and Davis conducted a longitudinal study of 94 dating couples at a US university. Each partner completed two questionnaires which assessed the level of similarity in attitudes and complementarity. Seven months later they completed another questionnaire looking at how close they now felt to their partner, compared to how they felt at the beginning of the study. They found that coupes who had dated for less than 18 months had used a similarity in attitudes as the most significant predictor of how close they felt to their partner. Those who had been dating for longer used complementarity only. This study shows the importance of filters in many romantic relationships, implying the theory has high face validity. However, social demographic factors may not play such an important role in modern relationships due to the development of social media. People are now more likely to develop relationships with people who do not live as nearby, showing geographical proximity and culture do not impact romantic relationships in the same way. Thus, this theory may not have aged well, resulting in a lack of temporal validity. In addition, there is a lack of evidence to support filter theory, with many studies failings to replicate the findings of Kerchoff and Davis. Psychologists claim that this may be due to the difficulty of correlating the length and depth of the relationships and determining key factors in short- and longterm relationships. In Kerchoff and Davis’s study they set the cut off point for short term relationships at 18 months. This meant they assumed that those people who had been in longer relationships had greater levels of commitment. However, this does not apply to all couples, especially those from collectivist cultures. Some couples take longer than 18 months to establish stages of filter theory, and some couples feel they can skip phases altogether. Thus, the theory does not apply to all individuals, with the research suggesting other factors play a key role in romantic relationships....