Predicting interpersonal attraction toward strangers presented in three different stimulus modes

Abstract

Attraction toward a stranger is a positive linear function of the proportion of his responses to an attitude scale which are similar to those of the S. Though various experimenters have utilized different stimulus modes for presenting the stranger, the effects of such stimulus differences have not been systematically compared nor has the linear function been demonstrated to be generalized across conditions. Ss were assigned to one of three experimental conditions in which a stranger was either depicted in a sound 8mm color movie, recorded on tape, or represented by responses on a mimeographed attitude scale. After learning 12 of the stranger’s opinions, Ss were asked to evaluate him. In all three stimulus modes, attraction was found to be a function of proportion of similar attitudes, with no significant differences attributable to conditions. A straight-line function was fitted to the data, yielding the formula Y = 6.74X + 5.06. This finding adds to the generality of the attitude-attraction relationship and also provides a methodological improvement.