Informational versus Affective Determinants of Interpersonal Attraction

Summary Three experiments were conducted to explore the role of informational or cognitive processes in the similarity-attraction relationship. In all three, the usual attraction methodology was reversed; subjects were given attraction information and asked to indicate the attitudes of a stranger which would elicit that response. In Experiment I (N = 42), as experimenter-provided attraction information became more positive, assumed similarity increased (p < .001). In Experiment II (N = 108), the reversed attraction-similarity effect was again demonstrated (p < .0001), but subjects revealed no similarity-attraction effect based on information unless attitudinal content was also present. In Experiment III (N = 96), positive evaluation and attraction information was found to influence proportion of similar assumed attitudes and also assumed response discrepancy. It was concluded that both affective and informational components contribute to the attraction process.