Filter Theory

Question 1

Researchers

Answer 1

Kerckhoff and Davis

Question 2

3 filters

Answer 2

• social demographic- factors that make potential partners attractive
• similarities in attitudes - Particularly important for ST relationships
• complementary - feeling whole

Question 3

Research to support

Answer 3

Taylor (2010) – people tend to marry someone from their own ethnic group
Gruber-Baldini (1995) – found similarities between spouse

Question 4

cultural bias

Answer 4

Most research supporting the Filter Theory uses participants from individualist, Western cultures. Individualist cultures value free choice in relationships, and describe the choice of partners in terms of individual preferences.

This means that Filter Theory suffers from culture bias, as it assumes that the rules of partner choice in Western cultures apply to relationships universally.

Question 5

reductionist

Answer 5

Limits the range of real life romantic explanations it can be explained e.g cant explain why many people stay in a long time abusive relationships despite the lack of complementary that is theorised as being a factor in ling term relationships