The Japanese Journal of Psychology 2000, Vol. 71, No, 4, 345-350 Contrast effects of background stimulus person on attitude similarity judgement and interpersonal attraction: A study of topic familiarity effect Tsukasa Tajima (Tokyo-Kasei University, Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8602) The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a background stimulus person on attitude similarity judgement and interpersonal attraction. Mascaro and Graves (1973 argued that a contrast effect on perception of similarity mediated interpersonal attraction. In the present experiment, it was hypothesized that topic familiarity moderated the effects of a background stimulus person on attitude similarity judgement and interpersonal attraction. One hundred twenty-two (122) female students were randomly assigned to four groups, formed by two levels of topic familiarity and two levels of similarity for the background stimulus person. They saw the attitudes of two stimulus persons together, and were asked to rate perceived similarity and interpersonal attraction. Results showed that in familiar topic condition, contrast effect was not found for attitude similarity judgement, but it was found for interpersonal attraction. The finding suggested that presence of a background stimulus person immediately led to the contrast effect on interpersonal attraction. Key words; interpersonal attraction, attitude similarity, topic familiarity, background stimulus, contrast effect.
Table 1 Means and standard deviations of topic familiarity for the topics used in the study Note. standard deviations are in parenthesis.
Table 2 Means and standard deviations of perceived similarity and interpersonal attractions for two stimulus persons Note: standard deviations are in parenthesise Figure 1, Perceived similarity and interpersonal attraction as a function of attitude similarity, in familiar topic condition.
Figure 2. Perceived similarity and interpersonal attraction as a function of attitude similarity, in unfamiliar topic condition.
Byrne, D. 1961 Interpersonal attraction and attitude similarity. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psy chology, 62, 713-715. Byrne, D., & Nelson, D. 1964 Attraction as a func tion of attitude similarity-dissimilarity: The effects of topic importance. Psychonomic Science, 1, 93-94. Byrne, D., & Nelson, D. 1965 The effect of topic importance and attitude similarity-dissimilarity on attraction in a multistranger design. Psychonomic Science, 3, 449-450. Byrne, D., London, 0., & Griffitt, W. 1968 The effects of topic importance and attitude similarity dissimilarity on attraction in an intrastranger design. Psychonomic Science, 11, 303-304. and topic importance on interpersonal attraction: With relation to the dimensions of attraction, Japanese Journal of Experimental Social Psychol ogy, 20, 35-43.) Helson, H. 1947 Adaptation-level as frame of refer ence for prediction of psychological data. American Journal of Psychology, 60, 1-29. Helson, H. 1948 Adaptation-level as a basis for a quantitative theory of frame of reference. Psychologi cal review, 55, 297-313. Johnson, D. W., & Johson, S. 1972 The effects of attitude similarity, expectation of goal facilitation, and actual goal facilitation on interpersonal attrac tion, Journal of Experimental and Social Psychol ogy, 8, 197-206. (Kazama, F., Yuge, Y., & Tajima, T. 1995 Effects of relative judgement of attitude similarity on inter personal attraction. Proceedings of the 59th Annual Convention of the Japanese Psychological Associa tion, 182.) Mascaro, G. F., & Graves, W. 1973 Contrast effects of background factors on the similarity-attraction relationship. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 25, 346-3500 (Okuda, H. 1993 Topic importance and assumed similarity; Their effects on interpersonal attraction. Japanese Journal of Experimental Social Psychol ogy, 33, 11-20.) Sherif, M., & Hovland, C. I. 1961 Social judgement: Assimilation and contrast effects in communication and attitude change. New Haven, CT, Yale Univer sity Press. Stapert,.1. C., & Clore, G. L. 1969 Attraction and disagreement-produced arousal. Journal of Person ality and Social Psychology, 13, 64-69.