Performance Deprivation and Interpersonal Attraction Dual Moderated Mediation Model of Affect Relevance and Cognitive Evaluation

Abstract

Research on interpersonal attraction has traditionally been examined from an advantage perspective: people get attracted towards others due to similarity in values, personal interests, and political orientations etc. In this experimental study, we examine interpersonal attraction from a disadvantage perspective which suggests that performance deprived individual is attracted towards a partner only when there is high relevance (in which the partner being well-versed) and positive evaluation between the subject and the partner. Drawing on social comparison theory and cognitive evaluation theory the model posits that the effect of performance deprivation on interpersonal attraction is mediated by levels of affect while the relationship between performance deprivation and affect is moderated by relevance and cognitive evaluation as a (first stage moderated mediation). In Experiment 1, subjects were told that their respective partner was taking same aptitude test as they were taking without disclosing the identity of the partner and reported to one mediator (affect) and either one of the moderators (relevance and cognitive evaluation). The performance deprivation-attraction link was partially mediated by affect and both relevance (high relevance) and cognitive evaluation (positive evaluation) strengthened the relationship as first stage moderators. In Experiment 2, subjects were made to take up aptitude test along with their respective partner and reported to one mediator (affect) and both the moderators (relevance and cognitive evaluation) as the first and second stage moderators respectively and vice-versa. Results revealed that sex dissimilarity (between subject and the partner) failed to play significant role in influencing attraction, results falsified when cognitive evaluation and relevance were measured as first and second stage moderators but supported when relevance and cognitive evaluation were measured as a first and second stage moderators in between performance deprivation-affect-attraction link.