Toward a clarification of the role of cognitive and affective processes in the similarity-attraction relationship.

Abstract

p < .05. **t < .01. *** p < .001.

Self-knowledge and social desirability of personality traits

“…From the standpoint of speci®city, as argued above, people should exhibit valid self-descriptions in these two dimensions. In addition, we assume that introversion (Hendrick and Brown, 1971;Star, 1962) and high anxiety (Hammes, 1964;Smith, 1954), in a way similar to maladjustment (Bleda, 1974), are non-desirable traits while extraversion and low anxiety are desirable ones. The latter assumption raises the question of the role played by desirability in the two dimensions; more precisely, the question is: how is desirability related to the speci®c characteristics of the two dimensions?…”

Is actual similarity necessary for attraction? A meta-analysis of actual and perceived similarity

“…Tremendous anecdotal and empirical evidence indicates that similarity breeds attraction. This phenomenon -dubbed the similarity effect -has been evidenced using personality traits (e.g., Banikiotes & Neimeyer, 1981;Bleda, 1974), attitudes (e.g., Byrne, Baskett, & Hodges, 1971;Tan & Singh, 1995), physical attractiveness (e.g., Peterson & Miller, 1980;Stevens, Owens, & Schaefer, 1990), and hobbies (e.g., Curry & Emerson, 1970;Werner & Parmelee, 1979), and has been documented in both laboratory manipulations (e.g., Byrne & Nelson, 1964;Storms & Thomas, 1977) and field investigations of existing relationships (e.g., Amos, 1971;Carli, Ganley, & Pierce-Otay, 1991). Based largely on the strength of the laboratory data, Byrne and Rhamey (1965) labeled the positive linear relationship between the proportion of similarity and attraction the law of attraction, and bolstered by hundreds of subsequent replications of the similarity-attraction relationship, researchers came to regard the similarity effect as a fundamental rule of attraction (e.g., Berscheid & Walster, 1978;Byrne, 1971).…”

A theoretical model for understanding relationship functioning in intercultural romantic couples

“…We suggest that partner's similarity/difference of active cultural ingredients, a construct we refer to as dyadic cultural affinity, could help us to understand relationship functioning in intercultural couples. This is different from most previous research on similarity in relationships, where the focus has largely been on individual's perception of similarity-also known as the similarity effect-(e.g., personality traits, attitudes, hobbies) and its association with relational attraction (Bleda, 1974;Gaunt, 2006;Luo & Klohnen, 2005;Montoya & Horton, 2012). Despite the overwhelming evidence that perceptions of similarity matter, we suggest that partner's actual similarities or differences in culturally relevant domains are also important for close relationships.…”