Evaluation of Filter Theory
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 9.1.8
Support for Filter Theory
Research studies, such as Winch (1958), support filter theory.
Validity of filter theory
- Filter theory has high face validity, which means it achieves its stated aims well.
- The theory makes intuitive sense and reflects most people’s experiences of romantic relationships.
- This is particularly true of the way relationships change over time.
Research support - Winch’s (1958)
- Winch’s (1958) study also found evidence that similarities in personality, interests and attitudes between partners are typical of the earliest stages of a relationship.
- Winch (1958) found that complementarity of needs is more important than similarity between partners who had been happily married for several years.
- This supports the conclusions Kerchhoff and Davis (1962) made about filter theory.
Criticisms of Filter Theory
Other studies have challenged filter theory.
Lacking temporal validity
- Filter theory lacks temporal validity - it’s predictions do not stand up over time.
- The rise of the Internet and dating apps have reduced the importance of some social and demographic variables, leading to greater likelihood of people pursuing a relationship outside their own social demographic.
Levinger (1974)
- Levinger (1974) notes that many studies have failed to replicate the original findings that formed the basis of filter theory. This reduces reliability.
- He also points to social changes over time and problems with defining the depth of relationships in terms of length (Kerchhoff and Davis used an 18 month cut-off).
Levinger (1974) cont.
- The assumption that a longer relationship is a deeper one creates problems when applying filter theory to other heterosexual couples within individualistic cultures, homosexual couples or relationships in other cultures.
Anderson et al. (2003)
- There are also problems with filter theory in terms of cause and effect.
- Filter theory suggests that people are initially attracted to each other because they are similar.
- But a longitudinal study by Anderson et al. (2003) found that cohabiting couples became more similar in their emotional responses over time, a phenomenon known as emotional convergence.
Davis and Rusbult (2001)
- Davis and Rusbult (2001) discovered an attitude alignment effect in longer-term relationships.
- Over time, romantic partners bring their attitudes into line with each other. This suggests that similarity is an effect of initial attraction and not a cause.
Challenging Complementarity
Some researchers have challenged the claim that complementarity becomes more important than similarity later in a relationship.
Anderson et al. (2003)
- Anderson et al.’s (2003) findings - that similarity increases over time - would suggest that complementarity is not a particularly common feature of long-term relationships.
Gruber-Baldini et al. (1995)
- Gruber-Baldini et al. (1995) carried out a longitudinal study of married couples.
- They found that the similarities between spouses in terms of intellectual ability and flexibility of attitudes increased over a 14-year period.
Test yourself on Evaluation of Filter Theory
Winch (1958) found evidence that similarities in certain traits between partners are typical of the earliest stages of a relationship.
Which of the following did he NOT mention?What is the main factor that has reduced the temporal validity of filter theory?
What did Davis and Rusbult (2001) discover in longer-term relationships?
What is NOT a criticism of filter theory?