Filter Theory (AQA A Level Psychology): Revision Note

Filters in romantic relationships

• A filter is a type of criterion applied to a field of availables to determine which amongst them is likely to provide a good ‘match’ 

• Kerckhoff & Davis (1962) suggested filter theory after conducting research with real-life couples, asking them what it was that attracted them to each other in the first place and why the relationship was (up to that point) successful

• Proximity is key when it comes to the first stage of filtering, i.e. who you live/work nearest to

• Hollywood films may romanticise long-distance love, but the reality is that relationships tend to form based on practicality, i.e. who is easier to form a relationship with - someone who lives around the corner or someone who lives on the other side of the world?

• Kerckhoff & Davis (1962) concluded that people apply a set of criteria - filters - which help them to narrow down the field of availables to a field of desirables who represent the best choice in terms of potential partner

• Thus, a filter in a romantic relationship is any parameter that is applied to a set of criteria used to sort the ‘sheep from the goats’ as it were!

• Filters tend to fall within the three general levels described below, but they are entirely subjective as one person’s idea of ‘desirable’ is another person’s idea of ‘I’ll pass, thank you’

Social demography

• Social demography refers to the first level of filtering as it takes in a broad sweep of variables which determine who an individual is likely to come into contact with as part of their everyday life, such as

  • geographical location

  • workplace

  • hobbies

  • lifestyle

  • habita

• Festinger et al. (1950) found that students who lived in adjoining rooms or the same corridor of student accommodation blocks formed more and closer friendships with each other than with students who lived in a different corridor, floor or block

  • Thus, proximity is key when it comes to the first stage of filtering, i.e. who do you live/work in closest proximity to?

• Daily habits such as going to the gym, popping into the same cafe for your morning latte on the way to work, and taking your dog for a walk every day can all lead to encounters with potential partners

• Level of education, religious and political beliefs (which may also involve attending church or meetings) also contribute to this first level of filtering, as they involve the meeting of like-minded people, which can be important for establishing a relationship in the first place

Similarity in attitudes

• Similarity in attitudes describes that people tend to form relationships with those who share their attitudes, outlook, worldview, etc.

• Similarity in attitudes forms the second level of filtering as the field of availables has already gone through the first filter, so it is at this point that more stringent criteria are applied, i.e. nobody wants to date someone just because they live around the corner; there has to be some meeting of minds involved

• It is only in the first 18 months or so of relationship formation that similarity in attitudes is a key factor (Kerckhoff & Davis, 1962); once the relationship is established, this filter has passed, and thus the need to establish similarity is not as vital

• Relationships based on physical attraction only are likely to ‘fizzle out’ after the first heady rush is over

  • If the couple do not share values, beliefs and attitudes, then there is no firm foundation on which to build the relationship (Byrne, 1997)

Complementarity

• Complementarity refers to how a couple provides what the other needs in a relationship, i.e. they complement each other (not to be confused with complimenting each other)

• Complementarity forms the third level of filtering as the potential field of availables has been narrowed down

  • A relationship may have been established with someone from the field of desirable, and it is at this point that each partner asks, ‘Is this relationship working for me?’

• A couple who complement each other will each bring to the relationship something that their partner is not able to bring, e.g. Sam does all the cooking, Jen does all the gardening; Brenda is outgoing, Glenda is reserved

• Complementarity, according to Kerckhoff & Davis (1962), is not so important in the early stages of a relationship but is crucial for long-term happiness

• A successful relationship may well depend on complementarity as each person fulfils the needs of their partner, which results in a relationship that does not consist of two separate individuals but is instead a whole

Research which investigates filter theory

• Newcomb (1961) - male US students reported that attraction shifted from proximity to those who most closely matched the men’s attitudes

  • They began to gravitate towards those who shared similar views to their own as the relationship progressed

• Amodio & Showers (2005) - liking is linked to similarity, but this is affected by how committed the relationship is

  • Participants in high-commitment relationships were more likely to favour a similar partner than those in less committed relationships

• Anderson et al. (2003) found that people in relationships become emotionally similar as their relationship progresses (known as emotional convergence) and that couples who are more emotionally similar are more cohesive and less likely to break up

  • This suggests that early similarity and later complementarity may not be as important as previously suggested

Evaluation of filter theory

Strengths

• There is quite a convincing body of research evidence to suggest that filter theory has some validity, e.g. Gruber-Baldini et al. (1995) found that social demography is a key determining factor in the first phase of relationship formation

• The theory makes sense,

  • People do tend to form romantic relationships with those from their neighbourhood, home town, college, workplace, etc. who share similar attitudes, i.e. it has external validity

Weaknesses

• The theory cannot account for relationships which defy the odds

  • Long-distance couples, couples who are opposed in terms of attitudes, and couples who are so alike as to not complement each other

  • Thus, it lacks full explanatory power

• There is a lack of temporal validity to filter theory due to the proliferation of online dating and contact via social media channels

  • This means that proximity, for example, is not an issue in relationship formation

Issues & Debates

• Filter theory is culturally biased, as it is based on research conducted in Western, individualistic societies (e.g., the USA), where freedom of choice in relationships is the norm

  • In collectivist cultures, arranged marriages are more common and social factors like family approval may override filters like similarity in attitudes or proximity

  • Therefore, the theory may reflect a Western bias and lack universal applicability

• Filter theory takes a nomothetic approach, aiming to apply general laws about how relationships form

  • However, real-life relationships are often idiographic—people may form bonds that completely defy the “filters” (e.g. opposites attract or long-distance couples)

  • This means the theory may overlook individual differences and lacks flexibility in explaining exceptions