737134
Similarity Theory
- AO1
- Attracted to somebody
who is similar to us.
Emphasis on similarity
of personality and
attitudes
- First we sort people
for dissimilarity and
they are avoided
- Secondly we
pick somebody
who is similar
to us
- Secondly we
pick somebody
who is similar
to us
- Bercheid + Reis
- Found that people with
similar personality traits to
ourselves were more
attractive + likely to form
relationship
- Found that people with
similar personality traits to
ourselves were more
attractive + likely to form
relationship
- Caspi + Herbener
- Found that married couples with similar
personalities were more happier than
couples with less similar personalities
- Found that married couples with similar
personalities were more happier than
couples with less similar personalities
- 'Attitude alignment'
- Partners modify their
attitudes to become
more similar
- Crucial that one
or both partners
modify their
attitudes for
relationships to
develop
- Partners modify their
attitudes to become
more similar
- Attracted to somebody
who is similar to us.
Emphasis on similarity
of personality and
attitudes
- AO2
- Lehr + Geher
- Support for the importance of
attitude similarity + reciprocal
attraction
- 24 males and 32 females were given a description of a stranger
with varying degrees of similarity + whether they liked them or not
- Found that similar people were
liked + liking was more likely to
be reciprocated
- Shows that similarity in attitudes is a
key factor in relationship formation
- However knowing someone likes
you is rewarding so similarity if not
as important in this case
- Support for the importance of
attitude similarity + reciprocal
attraction
- Yoshida
- Criticises the
similarity
theory as it
only looks at
attitudes +
personality
- Represents only a narrow view
of factors that are important in
relationship formation
- Represents only a narrow view
of factors that are important in
relationship formation
- Similarity in
self-concept,
economic level
+ physical
condition are
equally
important
- Speakman et al.
- Found that people
chose partners with a
similar level of body fat
- Found that people
chose partners with a
similar level of body fat
- Suggests that the similarity theory fails to
take into account all the factors that
influence the formation of relationships
- Criticises the
similarity
theory as it
only looks at
attitudes +
personality
- Rosenbaum
- Argue that similarity is not
the most important factor in
determining whether a
relationship will develop
- The dissimilarity repulsion
hypothesis states that
dissimilarity is more
important than similarity
- Tested in many cultures (e.g.
Singh + Tan in Singapore)
- Tested in many cultures (e.g.
Singh + Tan in Singapore)
- Found that individuals are first attracted
to each other due to similar attitudes. As
they discover more dissimilarities than
similarities the individuals becomes less
attracted the each other
- Suggests that dissimilarities are
more significant in determining
relationship formation
- Argue that similarity is not
the most important factor in
determining whether a
relationship will develop
- Condon + Crano
- Supports the
importance of
similarity
- We assume that
people similar to us
will be more likely
to like us
- By ruling out dissimilar people we
lessen out chances of being rejected
- By ruling out dissimilar people we
lessen out chances of being rejected
- Sharing similar attitudes + beliefs is
rewarding as it validates them
- Suggests that similarity is a key
factor in forming relationships
- Supports the
importance of
similarity
- Lehr + Geher
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