Keeping Track of Needs and Inputs of Friends and Strangers

Abstract

Proceeding from the distinction between communal and exchange relationships drawn in previous work, it was hypothesized that keeping track of the needs of a friend would be greater than keeping track of the needs of a stranger and that keeping track of a stranger's inputs into a joint task would be greater than keeping track of the inputs of a friend. These hypotheses were tested in an experiment in which the number of times subjects looked at lights (which never changed) was the dependent measure. In the "needs" condition, a change in the lights meant the other person needed help (which the subject could not provide). In the "inputs" condition, a change in the lights meant the other had made a substantial contribution to a joint task. In support of the hypotheses, it was found that the number of looks at the lights in the "needs" condition was significantly greater when the other was a friend than a stranger, while the number of looks in the "inputs" condition was significantly greater when the other was a stranger than a friend.