Self-actualization as a moderator of the relationship between attitude similarity and attraction

Abstract

It was hypothesized that self-actualization (SA) assessed by scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory should affect the salience of interpersonal stimuli and moderate the attitude similarity/dissimilarity relationship. Fifty-six American college students (28 males and 28 females), aged 18-21, were used as subjects. In Experiment I SA and proportion of attitude similarity were varied by use of Byrne's attraction paradigm in a between-Ss design. The personality variable failed to affect attraction. In Experiment II SA and proportion of attitude similarity were manipulated in a within-Ss design. SA Ss rated the stranger significantly higher in attraction at high levels of similarity and significantly lower in attraction at low levels of similarity when compared to non-SA individual (p smaller than .05). The results were discussed in terms of design differences in personality research and the potential mechanism (self-esteem) by which SA affects attraction.