Dependency similarity, attraction and perceived helpfulness

Subjects were asked to evaluate either a similar personality (n = 36) or a dissimilar personality (n = 36) other on measures of interpersonal attraction and characteristics of an altruistic person. Specifically, Ss were found to rate similar others more positively than dissimilar others and, additionally, to perceive similar others as more helpful and sympathetic than dissimilar others. These results are discussed in terms of the Byrne-Clore reinforcement-affect model and Lott-Lott's secondary reinforcement model of interpersonal attraction.