Factors Affecting Attraction: Filter Theory - Evaluation
- Created by: 221BTimelord
- Created on: 15-01-17 20:19
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- Support from Research Evidence
- Agrees with most individual's relationship experiences = face validity.
- For married couples = Compliment-arity is more important than similarity
- Similarities of personality, interests and attitudes = beginning stages of relationship.
- Winch (1958)
- Factors Affecting Attraction: Filter Theory
- Failure to Replicate
- Levinger (1974)
- Many studies failed to replicate original findings
- Thought to be due to social changes & difficulty in defining depth of relationships in terms of length.
- Studies assumes 18-months is different between long-term and short-term relationship.
- Assumed those who had been in relationship longer than 18-months were more committed.
- FINDINGS
- LIMITATION: Highlights the issues with applying the theory to heterosexual couples in individualist cultures - as well as homosexuals and collective cultures.
- Direction of Cause and Effect
- Theory states people are initially attracted due to similarities.
- Anderson (2003)
- Longitudinal study of couples cohabiting showed that partners became more similar
- FINDINGS
- Davis and Rusbult (2001)
- Discovered attitude alignment effect - in long term couples.
- Over time, partners bring attitudes into line with each other's.
- Suggests that similarity is an effect of initial attraction - not the cause.
- LIMITATION: Due to these findings not being explained or predicted by filter theory.
- Davis and Rusbult (2001)
- Davis and Rusbult (2001)
- Discovered attitude alignment effect - in long term couples.
- Over time, partners bring attitudes into line with each other's.
- Suggests that similarity is an effect of initial attraction - not the cause.
- Lack of Temporal Validity
- Rise in online dating = theory is outdated.
- Social demographics is no longer as influential a factor on initial attractiveness.
- Field of availables has widened significantly. E.G. Tinder/PoP make it easier to meet people.
- However online dating does not have an impact on the second and third filters.
- Still have to meet up face-to-face.
- initial similarity of attitudes and later complement-arity are still important to relationship development.
- Failure to Replicate
- FINDINGS
- STRENGTH: Validity increased due to support from other findings, makes theory more reliable.
- AO3
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