Evaluation of a person who uses another's name in ingratiating and noningratiating situations

Abstract

Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that a person who communicates immediacy by using another's name will be evaluated with general positive affect when the name usage is attributable to tacting or conditions of noningratiation. When the use of another's name is attributable to manding or ingratiation, it was predicted that the name user would be evaluated with general negative affect. In the first experiment, subjects listened to taperecorded job interviews in which the job applicants either used (six times) or did not use the interviewer's proper name. Applicants who used the interviewer's name were rated generally as influenced by desire for the job. Applicants who did not use the interviewer's name were seen more often as motivated to show their true selves. In addition, applicants who used the interviewer's name were rated significantly more insincere, incompetent, phony, and significantly less likeable, desirable to know, and hireable than applicants who did not use the interviewer's name. In the second experiment, an attractive female interviewed two males simultaneously and used one's name (11 times) more than the other's (one time). Males who were called by name reported significantly greater liking for the interviewer than males who were not called by name. Males who were not called by name felt that the interviewer liked the name-called males significantly more than she liked them. Results of the second experiment were replicated using the Bemian observer method. The third experiment involved placing a male and a female subject alone for 15 min “to get to know each other.” One group of males was told ahead of time to call their female partners by name ( X = 6 ) during the conversation. A second group of males was told not to use the female's name. Compared with the non-name users, the name users were evaluated by the females as significantly more motivated to make a good impression, phony, distant, and significantly less outgoing, and desirable as future discussion partners. Results of the three experiments were consistent with predictions made from Jones' ingratiation-attractiveness model and Bem's theory of perception. Possibilities were suggested for future research.