Fostering selflessness through I-sharing

Abstract

Although previous research has shown that perceived objective similarity (Me-sharing) and perceived subjective similarity (I-sharing) both increase liking for strangers, perceived subjective similarity may have a unique effect on selflessness. Study 1 addressed this possibility by focusing on whether I-sharing (but not Me-sharing) promotes greater willingness to share a desired good. After interacting with three ostensible partners (an I-sharer, a Me-sharer, and a Not Similar Other), participants indicated their liking for each of these partners and distributed a desired good between themselves and each partner. Although participants reported higher liking for both the I-sharer and the Me-sharer than for the dissimilar other, when it came to the allocation of the desired good, they showed generosity only to the I-sharer. Study 2 addressed questions lingering from Study 1 by manipulating I-sharing and Me-sharing in a between participants design, by equalizing the importance of the I-sharing and Me-sharing dimensions, and by looking at a separate indicator of selflessness (i.e., helping intentions). Results conceptually replicated those of Study 1, with participants reporting significantly higher helping intentions when they I-shared with their partner than when they Me-shared with their partner (even though participants reported equivalent levels of liking in both partner conditions). Taken, together these findings suggest that subjective similarity contributes uniquely to a person's ability to behave selflessly.

Actual and Perceived Emotional Similarity in Couples’ Daily Lives

“…Our findings complement research on (perceived) partner similarity in emotional experiences, subjective experiences, and similarity in general by stressing the importance of perceived similarity (Anderson et al, 2003; Gonzaga et al, 2007; Huneke & Pinel, 2016; Montoya et al, 2008; Murray et al, 2002). Such perceptions are likely to help people to feel understood, validated, and cared for (Reis & Shaver, 1988), to maintain a sense of a shared reality (Rossignac-Milon & Higgins, 2018), and to feel connected (Pinel et al, 2006).…”

“…Feeling emotionally similar to one's partner would therefore promote coordination, and partners' understanding and closeness toward each other, in this way benefiting the relationship. However, it might very well be that the perception that one shares similar subjective experiences with one's partner suffices to promote connectedness (Huneke & Pinel, 2016). In two experience sampling studies, we examined whether romantic partners' feelings of closeness are better predicted by their actual emotional similarity or by their perceived emotional similarity in daily life.…”

More About When I’s Meet: The Intergroup Ramifications of I-Sharing, Part II

“…In our research, we have used a variety of Me-sharing dimensions, including self-descriptions (Pinel et al, 2006), social identity (Pinel & Long, 2012; Pinel et al, 2008), values (Pinel & Long, 2012, Study 3), and beliefs (Huneke & Pinel, 2016). We have manipulated I-sharing with two paradigms: one in which participants provide their free associations to nonsensical questions about celebrities, and one in which participants provide their in-the-moment, gut-level reaction to inkblot images.…”

A window to the true self: The importance of I-sharing in romantic relationships

“…Second, future research could explore other potential mechanisms that underlie the downstream consequences of I-sharing. For example, I-sharing promotes prosocial behaviors (e.g., selflessness and cooperation; Huneke & Pinel, 2016; Pinel et al, 2015). This suggests I-sharing might lead to putting your partner’s needs before your own and more cooperative behavior, which could, in turn, influence relationship satisfaction.…”

“…I-sharing is the “sense that one’s subjective experience overlaps with that of at least one other person” (e.g., laughing at the same joke; Pinel, Long, Landau, Alexander & Pyszczynski, 2006, p. 243–244). I-sharing appears to serve both existential and prosocial functions (Huneke & Pinel, 2016; Pinel & Long, 2012; Pinel, Long, & Huneke, 2015; Pinel et al, 2006) and may even be a powerful tool for improving intergroup relations (Pinel et al, 2015; Pinel et al, 2017).…”