The Appraisal Similarity Effect: How Social Appraisals Influence Liking

The effects of appraisals on interpersonal relationships have rarely been studied. Three experiments examined how empathic social appraisal could influence liking. We tested for the appraisal similarity effect in which perceived similarity in appraisals boosts liking. In Experiment 1, perception of appraisal similarity led participants to express liking by disclosing personal contact information. This effect was replicated with a self-report measure of liking in Experiments 2 and 3. By independently manipulating attitude similarity, the appraisal similarity effect was deactivated under perceived attitude dissimilarity. Likewise, the robust attitude similarity effect was invalidated under perceived appraisal dissimilarity. In Experiment 3, perception of validated personal beliefs mediated the appraisal similarity effect, and this mediation effect was deactivated under perceived attitude dissimilarity in a moderated mediation scenario.