A STUDY OF INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION

Many recent studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between personality similarity and interpersonal attraction, and also that, in this relationship, perceived similarity is more influential than real similarity. In the present paper an analysis was attempted to confirm the above-mentioned relationship between perceived similarity and real similarity, in relation to the subjects' self-concept (on the dimension of personal-social-orientation proposed by R.Carlson in 1968). Two hundred and four high-school girls served as subjects. A near-sociometric test with a criterion of best friend and a modified Carlson adjective check-list were administered to Ss. They were requested to determine, on the check-list, their ownpresent self, and, to make an estimate of their friends' self concept. Thus, three measures were obtained on the basis of personal-orientation scores. They are: SC (subject's present self), FC (friend's present self), and FCP (friend's selfconcept perceived by S). Consequently, perceived similarity in this study was determined by SC-FCP relationship and real similarity by SC-FC relationship. The major findings of the study were as follows. (1) A significant correlation coefficient (.39) was observed between SC and FCP, while no relationship was found between SC and FC (Table 1). (2) An examination of the agreement between S's responses on the check-list items and those of his friends suggested the tendency that greater agreement was likely to be found between SC and FCP than between SC and FC (Table 2). (3) Further comparison of personal-orientation group with social-orientation group in terms of discrepancy scores evidenced that discrepancy scores observed, in the latter group, between SC and FCP was statistically smaller than those observed between SC and FC, but, not in the former group (Table 3). The obtained results were compared with those reported in earlier studies and some discussion was made in regard to the agreements and discrepancies together with a few suggestions for further analysis