Abstract
Previous studies have found Sexual Attribution Bias(SAB),young adults attributed the success of same-sex attractive stimulus persons in a more derogative way (more luck, less ability)than the success of less attractive same-sex persons, whereas this pattern is reversed for members of the opposite sex. Researchers believed the SAB accused for mating motivation. The SAB of previous studies was resulted from strangers object, but was it appears among close relationship? In fact, people often make mate choice in close people.
In this study, experiment was conducted to examine the SAB of successful or failure behaviors of different social distance people. With the self-made attribution of success or failure questionnaire as a tool, a random sample of 295 undergraduates participated in the experiment. All participators were divided into four groups. Two groups were asked to make attribution (ability, luck) for the successful and failure behaviors of their best friend. One group attributed for their same-sex friend, another one attributed for their opposite sex friend. Another two groups were asked to make attribution for the successful and failure behaviors of the stranger. One attributed for the same-sex stranger, anther one attributed for the opposite sex stranger.
The result showed that: (1) Social distance and sex difference had an interaction effect on the glorifying attributions of the successful behaviors. Participants attributed the successful behaviors of the opposed sex stranger in a more glorifying way (more ability, less luck) than the same-sex stranger. The glorifying way in which participants attributed the successful behaviors of their same-sex and opposed sex friend were not different significantly. (2) Social distance and sex difference had an interaction effect on the glorifying attributions of the failure behaviors. The glorifying way in which participants attributed the failure behaviors of the same-sex and opposed sex stranger was not different significantly. Participants attributed the failure behaviors of the opposed sex friend in a more glorifying way(less ability, more luck) than the same-sex friend.
These results suggest that the SAB appears in the successful scenes of far social distance others, whereas disappears in failure scenes of far social distance others; the SAB appears in failure scenes of near social distance others, whereas disappears in successful scenes of near social distance others. These results support the theory of social evolution
Key words
sexual attribution bias /
success or failure /
social distance
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The Effect of Social Distance on Sexual Attribution Bias of Success or Failure[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2017, 40(5): 1222-1227
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