A measure of interpersonal orientation: the Linking People Scale

A 15-item Likert scale, the Liking People Scale, was developed to measure that aspect of interpersonal orientation. Liking people is conceived as a personality construct which serves a mediational function in social interaction. Three cumulative studies are reported. The samples include college students in two regions of the country and a random sample of adults from a large metropolitan area. People low on Liking People spend less time with others, are more socially anxious, tend to be introverted, and are less adept at judging the characteristics of other people. The relationship of Liking People to other measures of affiliative characteristics is examined.