The Similarity-Attraction Link: Sequential Versus Parallel Multiple-Mediator Models Involving Inferred Attraction, Respect, and Positive Affect

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that the attitude similarity effect spreads sequentially through positive affect, respect, and inferred attraction to attraction. In Experiment 1, participants received information about a partner's similar or dissimilar attitudes and reported one of the three mediators before attraction. The similarity-attraction link was mediated by positive affect or respect but more strongly by inferred attraction. In Experiment 2, the three mediators were measured in different orders. Results falsified parallel and combined parallel-sequential multiple-mediator models and two of the fully sequential multiple-mediator models but supported four fully sequential models that were consistent with the affect-centered and affect primacy hypotheses.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank Sumit K. Jain and Krithiga Sankaran for their technical assistance, and Editor Leonard S. Newman for his invaluable suggestions for strengthening the article.

Notes

¹We term Montoya and Horton's (2004) cognitive evaluation as respect for the partner's competence because the items asked for evaluation of the partner's achievement, leadership, potential, and success.

²Another variable, inferred respect (i.e., how would the partner rate the participant's intelligence and general knowledge?), preceded inferred attraction. Thus, the orders of mediator-measurement were positive affect-inferred respect-inferred attraction-respect and inferred respect-inferred attraction-positive affect-respect. All four variables were included in the multiple-mediation analyses.

^a N = 60.

^b N = 384.

^a Indirect effect/(Indirect effect + |Direct effect|) (MacKinnon, 2008, p. 83).

**p ≤ .01.

**p ≤ .01.

³In the parallel multiple-mediator analyses of the present data from OMMs 2 and 5, we found mediation of the SAL by inferred attraction alone. For the path to attraction, respect had a nonsignificant negative coefficient at OMM 2 but a nonsignificant positive coefficient at OMM 5. Positive affect was influenced by attitude similarity at OMM 2 but not at OMM 5. For the path to attraction, positive affect had a nonsignificant positive coefficient at OMM 2 but a significant positive coefficient at OMM 5. Collectively, these results suggest that the OMMs of Singh, Yeo et al. (2007) were truly problematic for the weaker mediators positive affect and respect.