RELATIONSHIPS: Filter Theory

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Who devised filter theory?
Kerckhoff and Davis.
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Define filter theory.
Explanation of relationship formation. Assumes that there are 3 filters (social demography, attitude similarity and complementarity) that progressively limit our 'field of avaliables'.
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What are the factors of social demography?
Accessibility, proximity and similarity, e.g. geography, social class.
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Define similarity in attitudes.
People who share the same values and beliefs are more attractive to us, and so we discount those who do not.
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Define complementarity.
In long-term relationships, similarity becomes less important, and is replaced by the need for your partner to balance their traits with your own.
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Which filter is social demography?
1st filter.
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Which filter is similarity in attitudes?
2nd filter.
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Which filter is complementarity?
3rd filter.
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How long were the 3 stages measured over for a short-term relationship?
18 months.
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What is the advantage of proximity?
Accessibility- it requires less effort to form the relationship.
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What is the outcome of the 1st stage of filtering?
Homogamy.
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Why is a similarity in attitudes important in the first 18 months of a relationship?
In agreeing over basic values, it encourages deeper communication, and therefore greater self-disclosure, as well as shared activities the couple can bond over.
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Give an example of complementary traits.
Good at telling jokes, a love for comedy. Dominance and submission. Nurturing, a want to be nurtured.
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When is the phrase 'opposites attract' really true?
In long-term relationships.
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How does the complementarity stage benefit the relationship?
Helps satisfy emotional needs and deepen the relationship.
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What are the findings of Festinger et al. in regards to social demography?
People who lived the closest to the stairways in an apartment block had the most contact and formed the most friendships with other residents.
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What are the findings of Clark in regards to social demography?
50% of citizens in Columbus, Ohio, USA, were married to partners who initially lived within walking distance of their house.
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What do the findings of Festinger et al. in regards to social demography mean?
Supports the idea of social demographic variables affecting the choice of possible partners.
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How do Clark's findings enhance those of Festinger's?
Repeated evidence that people form relationships and even marry those similar to them demographically improves the reliability of the data, as it proves that it isn't a fluke for the area.
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What type of validity does Clark's study lack and why?
Population validity, as it only takes from one specific area and therefore may not apply to other locations/cultures.
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How could the Clark study be improved?
Gathering marital data from different places round the globe.
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What are Bryne's findings in regards to similarity in attitudes?
Strangers who had similar attitudes to participants were more liked than strangers with differing attitudes.
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What are Tan and Singh's finding's in regard's to similarity in attitudes?
When rating fake completed attitude questionnaires of a 'stranger' participants rated strangers with similar answers to their real questionnaire as higher than those who differed.
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What do Tan and Singh and Bryne's findings show in regards to similarity in attitudes?
Shows that similarity in attitudes is important in the early stages of attraction, increases support for stage 2 of filter theory.
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What are the findings of David and Rusbult in regards to direction of cause and effect?
Romantic partners bring their attitudes in line with one another over time.
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What do the findings of David and Rusbult in regards to direction of cause and effect suggest?
Similarity is a cause of initial attraction and not the cause of it.
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What is the evidence like for the 3rd stage of filter theory?
Mixed.
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What are Sadalla et al.'s findings in regards to complementarity?
Women are attracted to males who are reliable, socially dominant, self-confident and extrovert, as they indicate an ability to achieve a high position in society and thus meet provision of resources.
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What do Sadalla et al.'s findings in regards to complementarity show?
Supports the idea of complementarity being an important limiting factor in which individuals are desirable as potential partners.
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What are Anderson et al's findings in regards to complementarity?
In his longitudinal study, couples became more similar over time, leading to emotional convergence
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What do Anderson et al's findings in regards to complementarity show?
The third filter may not operate as the theory predicts. Implications for the role of the second filter. If similarity increases as a relationship develops in the longer-term, it implies similarity is the result of attraction, not the cause.
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How does the research change perspective on the nature of long-term couples vs. short-term couples in regards to similarity?
Long term couples are actually MORE SIMILAR than short-term couples.
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What could really be the initial cause of attraction?
Physical attractiveness -> conversation on social demographics -> finding out similarities which then enhance as the relationship progresses.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Define filter theory.

Back

Explanation of relationship formation. Assumes that there are 3 filters (social demography, attitude similarity and complementarity) that progressively limit our 'field of avaliables'.

Card 3

Front

What are the factors of social demography?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Define similarity in attitudes.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Define complementarity.

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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