48 male and female students in introductory psychology engaged in a get acquainted conversation with a confederate of the opposite sex. After the conversation, the experimenter asked each person to rate the other and indicated that they would then see each other's ratings as a part of the acquaintance process. Immediately after the first ratings were exchanged, however, the experimenter asked both subjects for a second confidential rating. According to prior instructions, the confederate gave either positive (7 to 9) or negative (3 to 6) preliminary ratings. The second rating, which was of liking, showed a strong tendency for the subjects to reciprocate the favorability of the first ratings made of them by the confederate. Attractive more than unattractive confederates were better liked. In contrast to previous research, however, data showed no tendency for subjects to respond more strongly to positive or negative feedback from an attractive rather than from an unattractive other.
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