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AQA Alevel Psychology Relationships Topic Notes
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AQA Alevel Psychology Relationships Topic Notes
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RelationshipsEvolutionary explanations for partner preferences
- Natural selection: humans behaviour is driven by the need to survive and reproduce, both
males and females need to make sure they have children and those children survive to
adulthood, genes that give reproductive advantage will increase in the gene pool.
- Inter sexual selection: strategy of one sex, often females due to high investment cost and
parental certainty of children, pick the highest QUALITY mate from a wide selection of
available mates according to attractive features indicating good genes.
- Intra sexual selection: strategy of one sex, often males due to low investment costs and lack
of parental certainty, COMPETEING between each other INTRA, for access to a large
QUANTITY of members of the other sex, favours dominant large males.
- Male female dimorphism: enhanced secondary sexual characteristics are selected for by both
genders, leading to these becoming more common in population.
- Females look for: qualities that will help raise a child to adulthood, resources/ money,
physical characteristics linked to dominance, V shaped chest.
- Males look for: qualities of fertility that indicate production of healthy offspring, large
breasts, young facial features, body shape of 0.7 waist to hip ratio, indicated sexual maturity
but not pregnant.
Evaluation
- CLARKE AND HEARTFIELD 1989: male and female students researchers asked other students
on campus one of three questions, “will you go out with me tonight?”, “will you go back to
my house?” or “will you have sex with me?”.
Found 50% of both genders agreed to a date that night, 0% of females agreed to sex,
compared to 75% of males.
Supports both concepts of intra and inter sexual selection than males will attempt to sleep
with as many women as possible, while women will be more selective.
- Conflict between natural selection and sexual selection, some adaptation that are sexually
selected for such as peacock feathers may be selected for due to sexual selection but be a
disadvantage in survival such as escaping from predators.
- Research CUNNINGHAM 1986 found men were not attracted to images of youthful faces,
large eyes, small noses and chins. SINGH shows cross cultural preference for 0.7 hip to waist
ratio
- The evolutionary approach could be criticised as legitimising a gender double standard
between men and women. Sexual differences may have been exaggerated, suggesting alpha
bias.
- Research in this area could be seen as socially sensitive, findings could be used as
justification for shaming women for their sexual behaviour.
- Evolutionary explanations for sexual selection can also be criticised for not explaining
homosexual partner preferences.
Factors affecting attraction, Self Disclosure
- Attraction: the action or power of evoking interest in or liking for someone or something
- Self disclosure: tend to disclose more information to those we like, thought to be an
indication of trust that information will stay between the individuals
, - Information revealed: ALTMAN AND TAYLOR suggest that as the relationship between
individuals develops, as the breadth and depth of interpersonal communication increases
from shallow levels to become more intimate known as the SOCIAL PENETRATION THEORY
SPT
Breadth: the types of topics that can be discussed, certain areas may noy be appropriate
until a certain level of friendship
Depth: level of information about a topic that is revealed
- Reciprocity: relationships will only develop if both individuals are active in both disclosing
information and responding appropriately
- Attributions: individuals consider the motivations behind self-disclosure, someone who it
seen to disclose to anyone is seen as less attractive than someone who does it because they
see them as special
- Appropriateness: while revealing information is generally as improving relationships,
breaking social norms or TMI can have opposite reaction of lower attraction
Evaluation
- SPREECHER AND HENDRICK 2004 study on student dating: used a longitudinal study
watching couples self-disclosure on dates, men and women were found to have similar levels
of self-disclosure and a positive correlation was found between the amount of self-disclosure
and measures of the quality of the relationship
Suggests self disclosure is reciprocal within both partners needing to reveal information
about themselves, higher levels of self disclosure are linked to level of attractiveness towards
a romantic partner.
HOWEVER research is correlational, may not be a causal link, rather than self disclosure
causing attraction, we may self disclose more to people we are attracted to, may have other
factors affecting levels of attractiveness.
- Generally thought women are better communicators, more willing to share intimae
information, may be Alpha bias exaggerating the differences between men and women.
- Increased self disclosure could be culturally bias, a reflection of individualistic western ideas.
TANG suggest that people in a collectivist society in China have higher relationship
satisfaction with lower levels of disclosure
Factors affecting attraction, Filter Theory
- KIRCHHOFF AND DAVIES 1962: suggest that there are certain limiting factors that affect the
choice of partners. We only become attracted to those who pass through a series of filter,
field of available and filed of desirables.
- Similarity filter 1: social demography, we are more likely to come into contact with some
people more than others due to how we spend our time. Factors include who we live near,
who we are with during our education/work. Could be linked to SOCIAL CLASS, LEVEL OF
EDUCATION and ECONOMIC STATUS
- Similarity filter 2: attitudes, likely we will come into contact with people with similar core
values, these people are seen as more attractive/ compatible, helps with self-disclosure t
start of relationships
- Similarity filter 3: complementarity, attracted to those who provide for our emotional needs,
partners can have differences that are mutually beneficial, importance for the success of long
term relationships.
- INVESTIGATION OF FILTERS STUDY
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