Psy 335: Journal Critique

Journal Critique 1

PSY 335

Eva MacInnes

1.         The Liking-Similarity Effect: Perceptions of Similarity as a Function of Liking, Brian Collisson &Jennifer L. Howell, The Journal of Social Psychology, April 21 2014, pages 384-400.

2.         The intent of this article was to determine whether or not people align themselves with others they deem more likeable as opposed to dislikable using balance theory. Balance theory suggests that people want to regulate their attitudes by keeping their thinking and cognitive patterns in alignment. They do this best when they aren’t pressured into changing their general attitudes and thoughts about objects or other people.

        People make social inferences about each other everyday. The need to do this is so strong that a person will extend that need into making assumptions about other people based on very little data or information. They “fill in the gaps” so to speak and they even go as far as to project their own attitudes, beliefs and values onto others.

        The main purpose was to determine whether or not people find more in common with those they perceive as likeable as opposed to dislikable.  Does similarity breed liking and vice versa? Another goal was to determine if individual differences in the participants would affect the results. They addressed whether or not a persons own individual concept of self-worth and self-esteem would change the levels of perceived likability.

3.         The article used the correlational method to conduct its research. Two experiments were conducted. In both, questionnaires were used right before and after short video clips were presented to the participants. This was all followed with a debriefing.

        In the first study ninety-nine college undergraduates participated. Of these, fifty-seven were women and forty-two men. The group was ethnically diverse. Upon arrival the participants were given a questionnaire to fill out. They were given questions and then asked to rate on a scale of one to eleven (one being strongly opposed to and 11 strongly in favor of) how they felt about each statement. Its purpose was to assess traits such as their political values, attachment styles, and behavioral intentions.

        The participants were then told to watch two videos. Each had the sound off and they depicted a “likable” person in one and a “dislikable” person in the other. College actors played the people in the videos and they used body language and facial expressions to emote their roles.  After the participants watched the videos they were given another questionnaire very similar to the first. But this time the questions were about the people they observed in the videos and their perceptions of their political values, attachment styles, and behavioral intentions.