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Similarity and Social Interaction: When Similarity Fosters Implicit Behavior Toward a Stranger
Abstract
People interact more readily with someone whom they think they have something in common with. At a pedestrian crossing, confederates asked participants for the time and, in one condition, said she/he had the same watch as the participant. The amount of time that participants lingered near a confederate was used as the dependent variable. Participants in the similarity condition spent significantly more time near the confederate than when no similarity was manipulated. The results showed that similarity fosters implicit behavior, adding to the growing body of data on the positive effects of similarity and its role in social interaction.
... For example, Can and Heath (2016) found that Turkish urban dwellers engaged in substantially more stationary interactions in public spaces on weekdays than Sundays. Guéguen et al. (2011) revealed that individuals who perceive cultural similarity with strangers (through the belief that they own similar objects) spend more time in proximity to those strangers; and McCreery et al. (2015) show that in virtual environments that loosely mimic real-world spaces, users interact more frequently when the environment encourages greater conversational intensity in each interaction. ...
Civil society organizations (CSOs) are sites for creating and strengthening social ties among participants. Ties are developed when participants in CSO convenings (meetings, events, activities) interact, but convenings vary in the amount of interaction they generate. Theory and research suggest that the physical spaces where convenings occur may impact participant interaction. However, previous methods lack sufficient scale to formally test related hypotheses. We introduce a method for collecting data at scale to examine how CSO convening spaces influence social interaction. The method—systematic social observation (SSO)—assembles comparable, quantitative data from many CSO convenings. As part of an exploratory study, we collected data from 99 CSO convenings from three organizations in Indianapolis, Indiana. For illustrative purposes, building on theories of spatial propinquity and configuration, we highlight two dimensions of spatial variation in CSO convenings—footprint and permeability—and examine how they relate to three indicators of participant interaction. Our findings suggest that controlling for the number of participants and other convening characteristics, medium‐sized spaces foster more interaction than small or large ones. More broadly, this study demonstrates the viability of the SSO method for collecting data at scale and provides a model for future work on space, interaction, and networks.
... To understand the hidden mechanism of the observed correlation patterns, we identify the key factors driving the synchronization of knowledge structures. First, we assume that people are more likely to be similar when they interact more frequently and vice versa [41]. ...
Humans acquire and accumulate knowledge through language usage and eagerly exchange their knowledge for advancement. Although geographical barriers had previously limited communication, the emergence of information technology has opened new avenues for knowledge exchange. However, it is unclear which communication pathway is dominant in the 21st century. Here, we explore the dominant path of knowledge diffusion in the 21st century using Wikipedia, the largest communal dataset. We evaluate the similarity of shared knowledge between population groups, distinguished based on their language usage. When population groups are more engaged with each other, their knowledge structure is more similar, where engagement is indicated by socioeconomic connections, such as cultural, linguistic, and historical features. Moreover, geographical proximity is no longer a critical requirement for knowledge dissemination. Furthermore, we integrate our data into a mechanistic model to better understand the underlying mechanism and suggest that the knowledge "Silk Road" of the 21st century is based online.
... and to improve relations between individuals from same-race and other-race categories. Because the eyes are critical to understanding others (Adams & Kleck, 2003;Baron-Cohen et al., 1997;Henderson et al., 2005;Macrae et al., 2002), this work offers important insights into potential interventions related to perceived similarity to decrease miscommunication and misperceptions between races and to facilitate social interactions (Guéguen et al., 2011;Walton et al., 2012;West et al., 2014aWest et al., , 2014b. ...
One reason for the persistence of racial discrimination may be anticipated dissimilarity with racial outgroup members that prevent meaningful interactions. In the present research, we investigated whether perceived similarity would impact the processing of same-race and other-race faces. Specifically, in two experiments, we varied the extent to which White participants were ostensibly similar to targets via bogus feedback on a personality test. With an eye tracker, we measured the effect of this manipulation on attention to the eyes, a critical region for person perception and face memory. In Experiment 1, we monitored the impact of perceived interpersonal similarity on White participants’ attention to the eyes of same-race White targets. In Experiment 2, we replicated this procedure, but White participants were presented with either same-race White targets or other-race Black targets in a between-subjects design. The pattern of results in both experiments indicated a positive linear effect of similarity—greater perceived similarity between participants and targets predicted more attention to the eyes of White and Black faces. The implications of these findings related to top-down effects of perceived similarity for our understanding of basic processes in face perception, as well as intergroup relations, are discussed.
... The findings of this study suggest that ethnic minority consumers rely on and are influenced by their online social networks. Research has indicated that similarity among media users foster social network relationships (Guéguen, Martin, & Meineri, 2011). This could explain the relationship between online (friendship and language use) and offline acculturation, whereas the personal-social information is defined by the computer-mediated bond individuals have. ...
The aim of this research is to determine the extent of online and offline acculturation preferences affecting purchase intentions within a minority ethnic community. This study investigates the role of social media as an agent in terms of how it influences acculturation and consumption. It also investigates the moderating role of education level. The findings highlight the significance of investigating language and friendship orientations and subsequent acculturation preferences. Empirical results confirm the impact of language and friendship orientations on enculturation/acculturation, which in turn impact purchase intentions. The results suggest differences among three groups in terms of their education level. The study discusses contribution to theory and provides future research directions, while offering useful practical implications for marketers.
... The 'homophily hypothesis' (Kandel, 1978) suggests individuals interact with those that share similar characteristics to themselves (Gueguen et al., 2011). There are multiple child-oriented psychology theories as to why this relationship occurs (Nangle et al., 2004;McMillan et al., 2018), with one theory termed the 'effectance motive', the need for a predictable, certain, and meaningful interpretation of the world (White, 1959). ...
Moving beyond a common brand interest, homophily is employed to understand the impact of characteristic similarity between child members of a brand community on attitudes toward the brand community and community participation desire. Three experimental studies were undertaken, assessing member similarity, respect, and member deviance with relation to brand community attitudes and participation desire. Results suggest greater similarity enhances children's attitudes toward the community and participation desire, explained by an increased respect towards the community. When a community member is deviant (disloyal), respect, and subsequently attitudes and participation desire, decline. By introducing homophily to child-oriented brand communities; this research contributes to the sparse literature, with results highlighting marketers should emphasize member similarity when promoting brand communities aimed at children.
... Similarity-attraction theory suggests individuals interact with those that share similar characteristics to themselves (Gueguen, Martin, & Meineri, 2011). This situation occurs due to the 'effectance motive', which is the need for a predictable, certain, and meaningful interpretation of the world (Byrne & Clore, 1967;White, 1959). ...
Similarity-attraction theory is applied to examine the impact of high similarity between child brand community members (e.g. age, background, opinions) on their desire to participate in a brand community. Australian children (n = 466) aged 6 - 17 participated in one of three experimental studies to assess the impacts of member-similarity, respect, and member deviance on brand community participation desire. Results suggest a common brand interest is not sufficient for participation alone; with greater member similarity in respect to an individual’s characteristics required for children to want to participate. Member similarity had a significant impact on participation desire through influencing respect towards the collective of members. In addition, when a community member was deviant (disloyal to the community), respect, and subsequently participation desire, declined. This study provides useful findings for practitioners, especially those developing child-oriented brand communities and contributes to the sparse literature on child-oriented brand communities.
Background: As today’s organizations are becoming increasingly globalized and adding the impetus to a more remote form of working due to the present COVID-19 pandemic, new ways of collaboration—like virtual teams—have gained importance. In the present study, we aim to investigate how virtual team outcomes are linked to perceived diversity and subgroup formation and attempt to gain some initial insight into the role of the social
identity approach to leadership in virtual teams.
Method: In the present cross-sectional study, a total of 102 virtual team members participated in an online survey measuring perceived diversity, identity leadership, subgroup formation, perceived performance, and team satisfaction, to examine the factors moderating the relationship between perceived diversity and subgroup formation as well as between perceived diversity and team performance and satisfaction.
Results: Moderation analysis revealed that perceived diversity had a negative influence on
performance ratings when subgroups were highly perceived to be present, but not if
subgroup formation was rated as low. The relationship between perceived diversity and
team satisfaction was not moderated by perceived subgroup formation. Furthermore, identity leadership was found to be positively related to team satisfaction and perceived performance, while subjective diversity was negatively associated with both team outcomes. Identity leadership moderated the relationship between perceived diversity and subgroup formation, in that high levels of identity leadership weakened the positive relationship.
Conclusion: This study provides first evidence to the importance of the team leader’s
role as a manager of a shared social identity in virtual teams where perceived differences
can lead to subgroup splits, as identity leaders may hinder the emergence of subgroups
in virtual teams.
In order to explore the effect of shoe clash on the disposition intention of high school students and its mechanism, the first study investigated the effect of shoe clash on the disposition intention of high school students' products, the second study investigated the effect of uniqueness threat and consumers' need for uniqueness on the disposition intention of high school students' products. The results show that: The impact of shoe clash on product disposition intentions is significant. The uniqueness threat plays a partial mediating role between shoe clash and product disposition intentions, and the consumers' need for uniqueness plays a moderating effect on the paths of "shoe clash→uniqueness threat" and "shoe clash→product disposition intentions".
It has been reported that familiarity or incidental similarities with a stranger influenced an individual’s behavior. However, the effect of the sense of geographical proximity believing that someone comes from the same area that somebody has never been examined. Three field experiments examined this effect on donations to humanitarian organizations. In the first study, participants were asked by a confederate to donate food products to a humanitarian organization. In Study 2, participants were asked by confederates to donate money for children. In Study 3, donation boxes were displayed in bakeries with a message that invited customers to donate money for children. In all the studies, participants were led to believe that they would be helping people in need or people who live in their national or local geographic area. Results showed that donations were higher in the geographical proximity condition. This “neighborhood effect” was discussed.
Four studies examined the effect of an incidental similarity on compliance to a request. Undergraduates who believed they shared a birthday (Study 1), a first name (Study 2), or fingerprint similarities (Study 3) with a requester were more likely to comply with a request than participants who did not perceive an incidental similarity with the requester. The findings are consistent with past research demonstrating that people often rely on heuristic processing when responding to requests and with Heider's description of unit relationships in which perceived similarities lead to positive affect. Consistent with the unit relation interpretation, participants did not increase compliance when hearing about an incidental similarity with someone other than the requester or when they believed the feature they shared with the requester was common.
What was noted by E. J. Langer (1978) remains true today; that much of contemporary psychological research is based on the assumption that people are consciously and systematically processing incoming information in order to construe and interpret their world and to plan and engage in courses of action. As did E. J. Langer, the authors question this assumption. First, they review evidence that the ability to exercise such conscious, intentional control is actually quite limited, so that most of moment-to-moment psychological life must occur through nonconscious means if it is to occur at all. The authors then describe the different possible mechanisms that produce automatic, environmental control over these various phenomena and review evidence establishing both the existence of these mechanisms as well as their consequences for judgments, emotions, and behavior. Three major forms of automatic self-regulation are identified: an automatic effect of perception on action, automatic goal pursuit, and a continual automatic evaluation of one's experience. From the accumulating evidence, the authors conclude that these various nonconscious mental systems perform the lion's share of the self-regulatory burden, beneficently keeping the individual grounded in his or her current environment.
What was noted by E. J. Langer (1978) remains true today: that much of contemporary psychological research is based on the assumption that people are consciously and systematically processing incoming information in order to construe and interpret their world and to plan and engage in courses of action. As did Langer, the authors question this assumption. First, they review evidence that the ability to exercise such conscious, intentional control is actually quite limited, so that most of moment-to-moment psychological life must occur through nonconscious means if it is to occur at all. The authors then describe the different possible mechanisms that produce automatic, environmental control over these various phenomena and review evidence establishing both the existence of these mechanisms as well as their consequences for judgments, emotions, and behavior. Three major forms of automatic self-regulation are identified: an automatic effect of perception on action, automatic goal pursuit, and a continual automatic evaluation of one's experience. From the accumulating evidence, the authors conclude that these various nonconscious mental systems perform the lion's share of the self-regulatory burden, beneficently keeping the individual grounded in his or her current environment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Similarity between a solicitor and a subject traditionally enhances helping behavior. An experiment was carried out in a computer-mediated context. Fifty students received an e-mail containing a 40 questions survey on their food habits which required 15-20 minutes of their time to respond. This questionnaire came from a hypothetical student of the university in which the subjects were registered. In half of the cases, the surname of the solicitor, which appeared in his/her electronic address, was the same than the surname of the target. Results show that compliance to the request was significantly higher in the same surnames condition than in the different surnames condition. The response delay was significantly shorter in the same-surnames condition than in control condition.
We investigated whether names in common promote altruistic behaviour, predicting that this would be especially so for relatively uncommon names, for surnames (which are better kinship cues than first names), and among women (who, although less willing than men to help strangers, according to prior research, are also the primary "kin keepers"). We solicited help from 2960 email addressees, with the request ostensibly coming from a same-sex person sharing both, either, or neither of the addressee's first and last names. As anticipated, addressees were most likely to respond helpfully when senders shared both their names (12.3%) and least likely when they shared neither (2.0%), and this was especially true for relatively uncommon names. A shared surname was more effective than a shared first name only if it was relatively uncommon. Women were substantially more likely to reply than men. These results indicate that names elicit altruism because they function as salient cues of kinship.