Abstract

The present study hypothesized that (1) the number of beliefs about attributes and common characteristics of the positive other persons are greater than the number of those beliefs of the negative other persons and (2) thus, evaluative strength of the positive other persons are greater than that of negative other persons. Fifty-two male and fifty-two female university students were responded a questionnaire form by writing the name of the positive, negative and neutral other persons of same and opposite sexes, writing down the attributes and common charateristics or common bonds of the persons, and rating those beliefs in terms of likableness and dislikableness. The numbers of attributes and common characteristics of the positive persons are greater than those of the negative and neutral persons. The same pattern of results were obtained for the evaluative strength of those beliefs. These results provide the support for present hypotheses. The female students gave greater number of beliefs than male students, but evaluative strength of those beliefs are not differed between male and female students. The students gave higher evaluative ratings to the opposite sex persons than to the same sex persons and perceived more common charateristics of same-sex persons than those of opposite-sex persons. The implications of these results for the modification and extension of the theories of triadic social relations were discussed.