SPSP 2012 series of posters

The Thirteenth Annual Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology
will be held January 26-28, 2012, in San Diego, California.

Assortative Mating, Personality Similarity, and Relationship Satisfaction in Committed Gay Male and Lesbian Relationships
Gian Gonzaga1, Heather Setrakian1, Erina Lee1; 1eHarmony Labs
Poster B322, Friday, January 27, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
This study investigated how personality similarity related to relationship satisfaction among committed gay and lesbian couples. Couples who were more similar in personality reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction after controlling for stereotype similarity and the main effects of personality. Implications for understanding the underpinnings of relationship commitment are discussed.

Bigger May Be Better: Female Attraction to Male Muscle Mass Across the Menstrual Cycle
Ashalee C. Hurst1, Robert D. Mather2; 1Texas Tech University, 2University of Central Oklahoma
Poster A81, Thursday, January 26, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Sails Pavilion
Female attraction to male muscle was investigated throughout the menstrual cycle. Participants rated male bodies with low, medium, high, and extremely high muscle. No significant interaction between ovulation and muscle appeared. A significant main effect for muscle appeared. Extreme, high, and medium muscle were each rated higher than low muscle.

“Psssst, is My Personality Showing?” Exploring Facebook and Personality
Britni Brewer1; 1High Point University
Poster D71, Friday, January 27, 6:15 – 7:45 pm, Sails Pavilion
Social relationships are becoming increasingly popular in online environments but little research has been conducted on individual differences in utilization of social media. This study examines the relationship between personality and Facebook behaviors. The results indicate self-reported behavior may not present the same relationships as seen with more objective measures.

Personality Predicts Research Preferences: Big Five Predicts How Individuals Perform Information Searches
Kimdy Le1, Olivia Pavlov1, Joan Poulsen1, Emily Dill1; 1Indiana University Purdue University - Columbus
Poster D116, Friday, January 27, 6:15 – 7:45 pm, Sails Pavilion
This study tested how personality relates to information-source preference. We presented participants with 10 scenarios. Participants rated the likelihood of using 5 sources of information for each scenario. We found that personality was related to information-source preference, and we tested for mediation and moderation. In sum, personality predicted information-source preferences.

The Enemy Effect: Perceptions of Similarity as a Function of Attraction
Brian Collisson1, John Chambers1; 1University of Florida
Poster E142, Saturday, January 28, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
Similarity breeds attraction (Byrne, 1971), but does attraction also breed perceived similarity? The current research addresses this question by examining the inferences people make towards a likable and dislikable other. Findings suggest that perceiving similarity as a function of attraction establishes cognitive balance and consistency within the individual (Heider, 1958).

Birth Cohort Differences in the Big Five Personality Traits, 1985-2009: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis
Brittany Gentile1, W. Keith Campbell1, Jean M. Twenge2; 1University of Georgia, 2San Diego State University
Poster D119, Friday, January 27, 6:15 – 7:45 pm, Sails Pavilion
Multiple meta-analyses were conducted to examine generational change over time in Big Five personality traits among college students using four well-known measures (i.e., Big Five Inventory, NEO-FFI, NEO-PI, and NEO-PI-R). Results show a significant decrease in openness across several measures. Partial evidence was found for changes in neuroticism and extraversion.

Narcissism and First Impressions in a Speed-Dating Study
Robert Ackerman1; 1Michigan State University
Poster E148, Saturday, January 28, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
A speed-dating paradigm was used to clarify the roles played by different narcissistic traits in the generation of romantic appeal. Undergraduate students (n = 232) completed the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and engaged in five-minute speed dates. Results highlighted the importance of grandiosity in the first impressions of narcissists.

The effects of race and trait information on ratings of dating desirability: A behavioral and event-related potential investigation.
Holly Earls1, Mark Varvaris1, James Morris1; 1University of Virginia
Poster A42, Thursday, January 26, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Sails Pavilion
This study utilized behavioral and event-related potential measures to assess the role of race, trait information, and attraction in the formation of romantic relationships across genders. Converging evidence from both experiments indicate that race and trait information have a larger impact on dating desirability for females than for males.

Dispositional Factors Predicting Usage of and Behavior on Online Dating Sites
Jennifer Fitzpatrick1, Ginette C. Blackhart2; 1East Tennessee State University
Poster D198, Friday, January 27, 6:15 – 7:45 pm, Sails Pavilion
This study assessed the relationship between several dispositional variables and online dating site usage and behavior. Results showed self-esteem, sexual preference, rejection sensitivity, and age to be significant predictors of usage of online dating sites. Self-esteem, gender, and age were significant predictors of behavior related to online dating.

Emotional responses to an acute elicitation of jealousy in dating couples
Nicole E. Henniger1, Christine R. Harris1; 1University of California, San Diego
Poster B148, Friday, January 27, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
We ethically induced jealousy in dating couples by making it appear as if one partner was flirting with another participant in an online chat. Participants who viewed a flirtatious versus mundane conversation reported significantly more jealousy and other negative emotions. Attachment style was not related to differences in responses.

Relationship Outcomes in Married and Dating Couples: Attributions, Satisfaction, and Closeness
Brooke M. Montoya1, Alicia Limke2, Paul C. Jones1; 1Southern Nazarene University, 2University of Central Oklahoma
Poster E57, Saturday, January 28, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
105 participants completed measures of relationship outcomes. Married individuals reported higher levels of strength (a form of closeness) than did dating individuals; however, there were no differences between dating and married individuals in internality, stability, or globality of negative attributions, relationship satisfaction, or the diversity or frequency of couples’ activities.
How Do I See You? Partner-Enhancement in Dating Couples
Marian Morry1, Mie Kito2; 1University of Manitoba, 2University of Winnipeg
Poster C58, Friday, January 27, 12:30 – 2:00 pm, Sails Pavilion
Individuals self-enhance relative to strangers or acquaintances. According to self-expansion theory, dating partners become associated with the self. Therefore, people can perceive the self positively by viewing their partner positively. Repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated partner-enhancement and idealization on moderate but not low relationship relevant traits among 58 heterosexual dating couples.

Backfire effect: Emphasizing reproductively advantageous male traits in a dating prime engenders lower female interpersonal attraction
Chia Niap Tan1, Fen-Fang Tsai2; 1National University of Singapore, 2Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore
Poster E158, Saturday, January 28, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
Addressing the inadequacies of the Evolutionary axiom of interpersonal attraction, this study depicts how indiscriminate emphasis of reproductively advantageous male traits can backfire even in a dating prime. By considering several other premises, a working model for attraction can be generated that is both coherent with theory and yet generalizable.

Attachment and the Use of Humor during Conflict Negotiation in Dating Couples
Heike A. Winterheld1, Jeffry A. Simpson2, M. Minda Oriña3; 1California State University, East Bay, 2University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, 3St. Olaf College
Poster C72, Friday, January 27, 12:30 – 2:00 pm, Sails Pavilion
We tested how partners with different attachment orientations express and react to humor during conflict negotiation. Avoidant individuals used less affiliative and more aggressive humor; anxious individuals used more self-defeating humor. Avoidant individuals were angrier when partners used aggressive humor. Anxious individuals responded favorably to affiliative but not self-defeating humor.

“Be Mine”: Individual differences in attachment orientation predict relationship investment on Valentine’s Day
William J. Chopik1, Britney M. Wardecker1, Robin S. Edelstein1; 1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Poster E38, Saturday, January 28, 8:00 – 9:30 am, Sails Pavilion
In two studies we examined how Valentine’s Day affects perceptions of investment in romantic relationships. We found that adult attachment orientation moderated how people evaluated their relationships on Valentine’s Day compared to a control day. Findings are discussed in the context of the relationship-enhancing events, such as holidays and anniversaries.