Analyzing

Abstract

Two Studies investigated the relationship between verbal behavior and short-term mate selection. The first study, an observational traditional speed-dating study, collected audio and video recordings of dyadic interactions between men and women in addition to self-report data on whether the participant would like to talk to each date in the future. The second study, a true experiment, employed the use of a researcher confederate to manipulate verbal behavior and attractiveness level of the speed-date partner. Participants were led to believe they were being "matched" with three other undergraduates based upon online profiles. Verbal behavior manipulations included varying valence-based autoclitics (neutral or high) and self-other referential autoclitics in two sequential orders (based on I , you , I /you in relation to one another, and dyadic we frames of reference). During traditional speed-dating, a wide variety of verbal operants were used. In general, dyadic we was not frequently used by participants, imprecise tacting tended to be characteristic of no ratings, and successful speed-daters tended to modify their verbal behavior as appropriate to the specific listener. For online-dating, among the findings concerning the observed relationships between autoclitics, physical attractiveness, and various outcomes in short-term romantic interest, were confederate use of I-to-we sequential progressions with neutral valence tended to best predict longer times spent chatting, as chosen by participants when given the choice to chat more than the five-minute minimum. Additionally, confederate use of I and you in relation to one another was positively correlated with participant interest ratings of the confederate for medium-attractiveness confederates and was negatively correlated with interest ratings for low- and high-attractiveness confederates. Autoclitics moderated the relationship between physical attractiveness of the confederate and yes ratings for both low- and high- attractiveness confederates. Findings from the current projects are discussed in context of general dissemination of verbal behavior and in context of other populations.