The power of change: interpersonal attraction as a function of attitude similarity and attitude alignment
Chelsea A Reid1, Jody L Davis, Jeffrey D Green
1Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Psychology, 806 West Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23284-4000, USA. reidca@vcu.edu
Abstract:
Does attitude alignment predict attraction? Would you like a stranger more who shifts her/his attitudes to more closely align with yours? In pairs, participants (N = 77) discussed social issues about which they disagreed and received false feedback on whether the partner engaged in attitude alignment (shifted her/his attitudes toward the participant's attitude) following discussion. Participants also received false feedback about the proportion of similarity to the partner on a set of issues (i.e., 25%, 50%, or 75%). Participants reported greater attraction to partners who engaged in attitude alignment and who were more similar. Moreover, similarity and attitude alignment interacted. Similarity predicted attraction when attitude alignment did not occur, but did not predict attraction when attitude alignment did occur. Finally, partner attitude alignment led to participant attitude alignment, and perceived reasoning ability mediated the attitude alignment-attraction relationship.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Influencing Attraction III: Similarity
Causes of Similarity-Dissimilarity Effect
Understanding Interpersonal Attraction
Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity
Factors Influencing Attraction I: Proximity
Relationship Formation


