Attitude similarity and attraction: Validation, positive affect, and trust as sequential mediators

Singh, Ramadhar; Wegener, Duane T.; Sankaran, Krithiga; Bhullar, Naureen; Ang, Karen Q. P.; Chia, Pauline J. L.; Cheong, Xinyi; Chen, Fuwei

doi:10.1111/pere.12178

Cited by 19 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…That is, experiencing certainty made validation by the other less needed and less impactful than when experiencing uncertainty. This pattern is also quite interesting for the attraction literature, in that validation via agreement has recently been resurrected as a potential reason for attitude similarity effects on attraction (without considering differences in certainty of social perceivers’ attitudes; Singh et al, 2017).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Metacognitive Reflection as a Moderator of Attitude Strength Versus Attitude Bolstering: Implications for Attitude Similarity and Attraction

Sawicki

Wegener

2018

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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"Strong" attitudes often have greater impact than "weak" attitudes. However, emerging research suggests that weak (uncertain) attitudes can substantially influence thinking or behavior. We propose metacognitive reflection as a moderator between traditional strength patterns and these emerging attitude bolstering patterns. Across six studies, research participants encountered a target person who agreed or disagreed with participants' attitudes. When focused on evaluating the target, attitudes predicted target evaluations better when the attitude was held with certainty (Study 1A), or after certainty had been primed (Studies 2A and 3; strength effects). However, when engaged in attitudinal social comparison (metacognitive reflection), attitudes better predicted target evaluation when the attitudes were held with doubt (Study 1B), or after doubt had been primed (Studies 2B and 3; bolstering effects). Expected change in certainty served as a mediator of attitude effects in metacognitive reflection but not target-focus conditions when doubt had been primed (Study 4).

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Metacognitive Reflection as a Moderator of Attitude Strength Versus Attitude Bolstering: Implications for Attitude Similarity and Attraction

Sawicki

Wegener

2018

Pers Soc Psychol Bull

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“…This theory postulates that those who share similar attitudes are likely to be perceived as more attractive, because they induce positive affect through the reinforcement or validation of one’s own beliefs, opinions, or feelings. Recent research supports this notion by showing that the relationship between attitude similarity and interpersonal liking is indeed sequentially mediated by feelings of validation and positive affect ( Singh et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 87%

Ambivalence and Interpersonal Liking: The Expression of Ambivalence as Social Validation of Attitudinal Conflict

2020

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Literature on attitude similarity suggests that sharing similar attitudes enhances interpersonal liking, but it remains unanswered whether this effect also holds for ambivalent attitudes. In the present research, we shed light on the role attitudinal ambivalence plays in interpersonal liking. Specifically, we examine whether people express ambivalence strategically to generate a positive or negative social image, and whether this is dependent on the attitudinal ambivalence of their perceiver. We test two alternative hypotheses. In line with the attitude-similarity effect, people should express ambivalence toward ambivalent others to enhance interpersonal liking, as sharing ambivalence might socially validate the latter’s experience of attitudinal conflict. On the other hand, people might express more univalence, as ambivalence may drive ambivalent others toward the resolution of their attitudinal conflict, and univalent stances could help to achieve that goal. In two studies ( N = 449, 149), people expressed similar attitudes to those of their perceivers, even when the latter experienced attitudinal conflict (Studies 1 and 2). Moreover, they composed an essay, the message of which validated their perceiver’s attitudinal conflict (Study 2). In line with these results, we further observe that the more people experienced their ambivalence as conflicting, the more they liked others who similarly experienced attitudinal conflict (Study 1). These findings suggest that the expression of ambivalence can have important interpersonal functions, as it might lead to an enhanced social image when interacting with those coping with attitudinal conflict.

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“…Future research should also expand on our initial investigation by continuing to investigate mediators of the attitude alignment–attraction relationship; the variables examined in our two studies may not be exhaustive. For instance, new research demonstrates that validation of one's attitudes plays a role in explaining attraction (Singh et al, ). Therefore, future research should continue to build on these findings by examining the potential role of validation in explaining the link between partner attitude alignment and attraction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Attitude alignment increases trust, respect, and perceived reasoning ability to produce attraction

Reid

Green

Davis

2018

Personal Relationships

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When others disagree with us, we like them more if they shift their attitude toward ours (i.e., engage in attitude alignment), but why? This article examined the effects of partner attitude alignment on dyadic (trust, inferred attraction) and personal (respect, perceived reasoning ability) evaluations. In two experiments, participants received feedback that imagined (Experiment 1) or real (Experiment 2) partners engaged (vs. did not engage) in attitude alignment; rated partners on trust, inferred attraction, respect (Experiments 1 and 2), and perceived reasoning ability (Experiment 2); and reported attraction. Individuals were more attracted to partners who engaged in attitude alignment because they viewed them as more trustworthy and worthy of respect and as possessing greater reasoning ability. The role of inferred attraction was unclear.

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Attitude similarity and attraction: Validation, positive affect, and trust as sequential mediators

Cited by 19 publications

References 53 publications

Metacognitive Reflection as a Moderator of Attitude Strength Versus Attitude Bolstering: Implications for Attitude Similarity and Attraction

Metacognitive Reflection as a Moderator of Attitude Strength Versus Attitude Bolstering: Implications for Attitude Similarity and Attraction

Ambivalence and Interpersonal Liking: The Expression of Ambivalence as Social Validation of Attitudinal Conflict

Attitude alignment increases trust, respect, and perceived reasoning ability to produce attraction

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