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Similarity and Interpersonal Attraction

The attitude/similarity theory suggests that people are attracted to and like those who are more similar than dissimilar to themselves. This topic has been studied by researching attitude and belief similarity. In an early study, results show a positive correlation between attitude and belief similarity and attraction. This result has been shown to be true in numerous studies as well. Thus, to further this research, a continuation study manipulated the prestige of the stranger by either their occupation or military rank to see if the prestige would affect attraction. Interestingly, the results show no significant interaction. However, when the situation was ambiguous and prestige of the stranger was the main source of information, then prestige did matter. Furthermore, there have been several examples to conclude that people like others like themselves. There are three mediators of the attitude similarity-attraction theory. One is affect, which is induced by awareness of similarity. In this view, similar attitudes induce positive feelings while dissimilar attitudes produce negative feelings. The second is inferred attraction from similarity or dissimilarity of attitudes. In this view, similar attitudes lead the participants to believe that the stranger would be attracted toward them, while dissimilar ones lead to rejection. Thus, it is a matter of reciprocation. The third mediator is cognitive evaluation of the stranger’s quality as a person. Simply, cognitive evaluation is what you are consciously aware and think of people, and is very important in the attitude/similarity theory.

Interestingly, attitude and belief similarity does not just refer to adults. In an experiment done with Chinese children aging from 7-11 years. The results showed that interpersonal attraction increased with attitude similarity, just as it does in adults. Children learn many things early in life on an operant conditioning system, which means they are given rewards and punishments for their behavior. Even though most people think of giving a child a reward or punishment due to their behavior, adults are reinforced and punished as well in similar ways that adults are. Similar attitudes are directly rewarding for the person, so we tend to like the person more. In fact, we are more attractive to those people who are similar to ourselves because they validate our own self worth and we assume that people who disagree with us have negative personality traits. Attitudinal agreement from another provides positively reinforcing social validation for one's attitudinal positions leading to greater attraction Interestingly, in another study by Byrne and Blaylock, they found only a moderate degree of similarity in the attitudes of married couples. However, when the couple was asked, separately, to predict their spouse's attitudes, the similarity scores were much higher. Therefore, this study shows that it may be the perceived similarity that is important to relationships, not the actual degree of similarity. Furthermore, results from previous research suggests that we tend to like those who like us .

Another reason why people are more attracted to people who share similar beliefs as themselves is because fewer conflicts arise when people share the same beliefs, values and morals as another person. Normally, a person's belies and values are an important part of who they are as a person. Therefore, sharing common beliefs and values with another person lessens the likelihood of conflicts arising about aspects of a person's life that are important to them. In regards to similar beliefs and values, it has been shown that sharing a common goal lessens conflicts in relationships, and thus, leading to greater attraction as well Goal orientation is similar to one's beliefs and values, because both have to do with important aspects of the a person that are essential to who they are as a person.