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Related Experiment Videos

Why people self-verify.

W B Swann1, A Stein-Seroussi, R B Giesler

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin 78712.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|March 11, 1992
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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People seek partners who affirm their self-views. Both positivity and self-verification drive partner choice for those with positive self-perceptions, while epistemic needs explain choices for those with negative self-views.

Area of Science:

  • Social Psychology
  • Interpersonal Relationships

Background:

  • People often seek interaction partners who reflect their own self-views.
  • Two main theories explain this: self-verification theory (predictability and control) and positivity strivings (feeling good).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test competing explanations for why individuals choose interaction partners who see them as they see themselves.
  • To differentiate the roles of self-verification and positivity in partner selection.

Main Methods:

  • Two studies were conducted, analyzing participants' spontaneous verbalizations during partner selection.
  • Participants' self-views (positive or negative) were considered.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with positive self-views chose partners who viewed them favorably, driven by both positivity and self-verification.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Individuals with negative self-views chose partners who viewed them unfavorably, best explained by epistemic considerations within self-verification.

    • Conclusions:

    • Both self-verification and positivity influence partner choice for those with positive self-views.
    • Epistemic needs are crucial for understanding partner selection in individuals with negative self-views, supporting self-verification theory.