INFORMATION PROCESSING AND HETEROSOCIAL CHOICE: A MULTIMETHOD ANALOG INVESTIGATION (DATING CHOICE, SOCIAL SKILLS, INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION)
Abstract
Forty-five naive males and 45 naive females were asked to role play customers at a videodating service. Each viewed videotapes of nine opposite sexed peers participating in a structured interview. Target tapes were specially constructed so that informational variables postulated to affect dating choice were manipulated. Raters evaluated target tapes throughout the interview and generated cues indicating what their ratings were based on. Target tapes were also viewed by six males and six females who spontaneously verbalized their thoughts. Verbalizations were recorded and transcribed and verbatim protocols are included. In addition, three questionnaires were designed to assess undergraduates' perceptions of the heterosocial selection process. These were administered along with the Social Activities Questionnaire (Christensen & Arkowitz, 1974) to an independent sample of 198 female and 138 male undergraduates. Chi square tests were employed to assess the impact of manipulations on dating choices. Females' three to one preference for males who espoused conservative views on premarital sex and alcohol and marijuana use achieved significance. Cues were sorted into a hierarchical coding system and chi square tests were employed to assess association with sex, target subject and valence. Males cited appearance, type of relationship desired, nonverbal behaviors and sex role incongruency more frequently than females. Females cited similar interests, similar values and sense of humor more frequently than males. Conversational skills, self-concept, altruism, intelligence and lifestyle similarity emerged as other important determinants of dating choice. Self-report data are reported in summary form. Correlational analyses are also presented. From an applied perspective, development of strategies for selecting partners and coping with rejection are discussed. While results supported the importance of assortative dating, virtually no support for the matching hypothesis was obtained. Results are discussed from an information processing perspective.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Psychotherapy
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