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Published on: September 28, 2018
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Threats to personal control fuel similarity attraction
Anyi Ma1, Jessica J W Paek2, Fangzhou Liu3
1Department of Management and Human Resources, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706.
Summary
When people feel a loss of personal control, they seek out similar others, driven by a need for structure. This effect was observed across 11 diverse studies involving over 90,000 participants globally.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Sociology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Personal control is a fundamental human need influencing social behavior.
- A perceived lack of control can trigger compensatory psychological mechanisms.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for social cohesion and diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between a lack of personal control and preference for self-similar others.
- To examine the mediating role of the need for structure in this relationship.
- To explore the downstream consequences of control-motivated similarity attraction on group diversity.
Main Methods:
- Conducted 11 studies using longitudinal, experimental, and archival data from 60 countries (N = 90,216).
- Employed cross-country archival analysis, lab experiments, and live-interaction studies.
- Utilized causal chain designs and manipulation-of-mediation-as-a-moderator approaches.
Main Results:
- Lower perceived personal control correlated with reduced preference for diverse neighbors (Study 1).
- Individuals with lower personal control showed increased liking for self-similar coworkers (Study 2).
- Need for structure mediated the relationship between perceived control and similarity attraction (Studies 4-6).
- Control-motivated similarity attraction predicted a preference for homogenous groups (Studies 7a-7b).
Conclusions:
- A deficit in personal control enhances the desire for similarity in social preferences.
- The need for structure serves as a key psychological mechanism driving this effect.
- Findings reveal how the motive for control shapes social structures and group composition.
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