Feeling More and Feeling Close: Affect Intensity Influences Judgments of Interpersonal Closeness

This investigation tested the intensity-as-information perspective, which is that people use the intensity of their feelings as a source of information when making judgments about interpersonal closeness. In two experiments, we manipulated the intensity, valence, and perceived relevance of participants' online affect. Participants then reported how intensely they perceived responding to another person's success or loss and how close they considered themselves to be to this person. In two experiments, when affect was experienced as relevant information, participants induced with more intense affect perceived responding more intensely to another person's success or loss than participants induced with less intense affect. The more intensely participants perceived responding, the closer they considered themselves to be to this person. However, when affect was experienced as irrelevant information, intensity did not influence perceived responses nor did it alter judgments of closeness.