Reciprocal Interaction and Similarity of Personality Attributes

Abstract

In a study of the relationship between similarity of personality and interaction choices, 336 students gave up to ten choices within fifty person classes. Personality variables were measured two years before sociometric choices (before acquaintance) and at the time of the choices. Reciprocal interaction pairs were more similar on a derived authoritarianism scale of the Omnibus Personality Inventory (OPI) than no-choice pairs at the time of the choices, but not more similar before they became acquainted. Religious items accounted for the increased similarity. A Guttman scale of religious items was identified and scores were related to sociometric spaces generated with Guttman-Lingoes smallest space analysis. Church affiliation did not explain reciprocal interaction choices, but church attendance was weakly related to choices, with reciprocal pairs being more similar than no-choice pairs on frequency of attendance. Reciprocal interaction pairs which persisted to the fourth year were more similar on intellectualism than persistent nochoice pairs and more similar than reciprocal interaction pairs which did not persist. These findings suggest that similarity leads to interaction and that interaction leads to increased similarity.