Abstract

Eight triadic relations were presented to 40 male and 40 female Ss. In each triad subject (P), other person (O), and object (X) were involved. Concreteness of other person and object were varied using the abstract or concrete other person and object. Ss were asked to indicate (1) the degree of unpleasantness and (2) the degree of willingness to change P-O, P-X, and O-X relation of the triadic relations on the 11-point scales. The concrete condition received higher pleasant ratings than the abstract condition. and disagreement made the differences in pleasantness among the concreteness conditions. On the score of willingness to change P-X relation, the positive P-O situation received higher score than negative P-O situation received higher score than negative P-O situation in the concrete condition, while the negative P-O situation received higher scores than positive P-O situation in the abstract condition. The theories of Heider and Newcomb received more support in the abstract condition than in the concrete condition on the score of willingness to change O-X relation. The male Ss gave higher pleasant ratings to the positive P-O situations and lower pleasant ratings to the negative P-O situations than the female Ss, while the female Ss gave higher pleasant ratings to the agreement situations and lower pleasant ratings to the disagreement situations than the male Ss. The male Ss gave higher scores of willingness to change P-O, O-X and negative P-O relation than the female Ss. The O-X relation received higher willingness to change scores than P-O and P-X relation. Newcomb's revision was not supported in the pattern of balance effect on the pleasantness ratings.