Help, Likability, and Social Influence1

Abstract

What factors affect an aid‐giver's perceived helpfulness and likeability and the amount of positive and negative social influence he is able to exert? In experiment I, subjects performing a difficult task expected or did not expect to receive help which they subsequently received or did not receive. No significant differences were found in reactions to the aid‐giver in the two expectancy confirmation conditions. However, reactions were markedly different in the two disconfirmation conditions‐very positive when unexpected help was received and very negative when expected help was not received. The two hypothesized main effects were found (p < .05) on the negative social influence, or counter‐conformity, measure. In experiment II, the perceived nature of the task was varied. Subjects received or did not receive unexpected help on a relatively unimportant task which yielded only extrinsic rewards or on an intelligence test which yielded only intrinsic, ego‐rewards. This time, social influence and counter‐conformity measures both showed predicted interaction effects (p < .05), while attitudinal measures did not.