Question

When similars do not attract: Tests of a predication from the self expansion model article(2006) authors are Arthur Aron Jodie Steele Todd b kashdan and max Perez.

What is the independent variable, dependent variable. Is it a true experiment ? What were the key results.

Answer 1

Independent variable :

• Expectation that a relationship is likely
• Similarity of interests regarding the same-gender other

Dependent variable :

• Liking or attraction for the other

It is a true experiment. In order for an experiment to be true three conditions must be met : at least one experimental and control group ; researcher manipulated variable ; random assignment of participants to the groups. In this experiment, all.these conditions were met.

The key results:

• Men who were led to believe that a relationship with a same-gender fellow student was likely if they chose to form one, as compared to men who did not expect a relationship, no longer preferred a target person who had similar interests to their own. Under these conditions, there was even some suggestion of a complete reversal in which a dissimilar other was preferred.
• when participants had no special information about the likelihood of being able to develop a relationship with the target person, they showed greater attraction when the target person had similar versus dissimilar interests to their own.
• Women did not show the standard pattern of results of greater attraction to similars in the no-information about relationship likelihood condition.