Aron, A - Department of Psychology



Aron, A., Melinat, E., Aron, E. N., Vallone, R. D., & Bator, R. J. (1997). The experimental generation of interpersonal closeness: A procedure and some preliminary findings. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23(4), 363-377.

Abstract

Examined a practical methodology for creating closeness in an experimental context. Whether or not an individual is in a relationship, particular pairings of individuals in the relationship, and circumstances of relationship development were manipulated variables. Over a 45-min period, 52 cross-sex and 19 all-women pairs (psychology students) carried out self-disclosure and relationship-building tasks that gradually escalated in intensity. Study 1 found greater postinteraction closeness with these tasks vs comparable small-talk tasks. Studies 2 and 3 found no significant closeness effects, in spite of adequate power, for (1) whether pairs were matched for nondisagreement on important attitudes, (2) whether pairs were led to expect mutual liking, or (3) whether getting close was made an explicit goal. These studies also illustrated applications for addressing theoretical issues, yielding provocative tentative findings relating to attachment style and introversion/extraversion.

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