The Effect of an Approval‐Seeking Induction on Eye‐Contact in Dyads

In support of the hypothesis that interpersonal proximity may operate as an instrumental affiliative act, Rosenfeld (1965) found that subjects assigned an approval‐seeking role sat significantly closer to a confederate than did subjects assigned an approval‐avoiding role. The present study was designed to determine whether, with physical proximity held constant, the effects of such role inductions might be manifested in another response mode—eye‐contact (EC) behaviour. This possibility is suggested by Argyle & Dean's (1965) Affiliative Conflict Theory which states that when one means of regulating intimacy in a social encounter (e.g. adjustment of physical proximity) is not available, the affiliative intentions of interactants should be expressed in other behaviours (e.g. eye‐contact). Thus the specific purpose of this study was to test the proposition that with physical proximity held constant, an assigned approval‐seeking role will enhance EC while the opposite effects will follow from an assigned approval‐avoiding role.