Looking for Love? Self-Verification and Self-Enhancement Effects on Initial Romantic Attraction

Abstract

Self-verification (SV) theory suggests that we seek relationship partners who view us as we view ourselves; self-enhancement (SE) theory suggests that we seek partners who view us as favorably as possible. The authors examined the effects of these types of feedback from potential romantic partners on attraction in two experiments. In Study 1, participants (N = 143) provided self-descriptions and later received four types of feedback from potential partners: SE and SV, SE only, SV only, or neither SE nor SV. In Study 2, participants (N = 198) responded to four scenarios in which potential partners provided self-relevant feedback. In both studies, there was a significant SV× SE interaction such that verification effects were more robust in the absence of enhancement. In addition, participants were most attracted to partners who provided both SE and SV and were significantly less attracted to partners who provided either SV only or SE only. The authors conclude that both self-verifying and self-enhancing feedback affect romantic attraction and their effects are not independent.