Attitude Similarity and Attraction: Trust as a Robust Mediator

Abstract

The author examined trust in the benevolent intent of and respect for a fictional partnerb s ability as mediators of the well known attitude similarity attraction link. Previous studies had shown that both trust and respect are mediators, but suggested that a task emphasizing warmth could eliminate respect as a mediator. In Experiment 1, participants received information about attitudes and benevolent intent of the partner. As predicted, such manipulations yielded evidence for mediation by trust, but not by respect. The hypothesis that respect could be a mediator when competence is salient was tested in Experiment 2. Attitude similarity was crossed with either the benevolence or grades of the partner, cueing warmth and competence, respectively. Trust was again a significant mediator, but respect for ability was not in either condition. Although these results portray trust as a robust mediator of the attitude similarity attraction link, the failure to effectively manipulate respect draws attention to possible difficulties in Experiment 2.