Effect of feedback parameters on congruency versus positivity effects in reactions to personal evaluations.

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  • DDDonald G. Dutton
    Donald G. Dutton
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Abstract
Discusses some previous studies in interpersonal attraction which have attempted to answer the congruency vs. positivity effect question by manipulating S's self-evaluations through contrived task feedback and then providing S with evaluations from other ostensible Ss in the experiment. 2 such studies found evidence for a "positivity" effect (Ss with negative self-evaluations liking a positive better than a negative evaluator). In an experiment with 240 undergraduates, the nature of task feedback was manipulated. Results indicate how the nature of contrived task feedback may have affected the "positivity" finding. A limit on the generalizability of such a result is proposed. (20 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)