Abstract

Four hypotheses which related to the inferences about interpersonal relations and subjective certainty of inferences were tested. The measures of direction of inferences and subjective certainty were obtained from five situations. These situations included inferences of P/O relations from the information of attitudinal agree-disagree, inferences of attitudinal agree-disagree from P/O or O/P relations, inferences of other person's traits from P/O or O/P inferences of other trait from other person's inferences of other trait from other persons's a specific traits, and inferences of O/P or P/O relations from P/O or O/P relations. Hypothesis 1, same direction and polarization of infercence) which dealt with direction and polarization of inference were supported from five all situations. Hypothesis 2(positivity-certainty and negativity-uncertainty) were supported from five all situations. Hypothesis 3(polarization of relations-increment of certainty were supported from four situations and was not supported from last situation. Hypothesis 4(greater difference in certainty in the positive degrees and no difference in certainty in the negative degrees) was supported from three situations and was not supported from two situations. The last results were discussed in terms of research method (that is, selection of traits). Inferences of O/P relations from P/O relations were more reciprocated, higher in certainty and smaller in certainty differences between positive and negative relations than inferences of P/O relations from O/P relations.