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Target Attractiveness as a Mediator of Assumed Attitude Similarity

University of Southern California

Norman Miller

University of Southern California

Undergraduates indicated their opinions on eight issues. Then they viewed 12facial photographs of unknown college females whose physical attractiveness was systematically varied and estimated each target's position on each issue. Simultaneously, observers assessed subjects' attractiveness. Consistent with balance theory and self-enhancement concerns, subjects projected their own endorsement of attitude item content as well as their own average response elevation onto attractive peers to a greater degree than onto less attractive peers. Whereas subjects assumed similarity between themselves and attractive others to an equal extent on both involving and uninvolving issues, on involving issues they distanced themselves in elevation similarity from unattractive others. All effects were independent of subjects' own attractiveness.

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