Self-monitoring and Dating, Lab Presents Friday Nov 11

What features do we look for in a spouse? Mark Snyder and Jeff Simpson have identified a personality variable self-monitoring (discussed in Insight #4 & in Myers page p. 75) which strongly predicts behavior. Are you the kind of person who often changes your behavior to fit the different situations? Or are you more likely to reflect on and listen to your values to guide your behavior? The former person is a high self-monitor (the situation affects my behavior) the second is a low self-monitor (my values determine my behavior). We are more likely to see the same kinds of behaviors across situations from low self-monitors.

Simpson proposed that high and low SMs differ in their dating preferences and behaviors. That is, lows are likely to care about finding someone with similar values and lows want long-term monogamous relationships. Highs care about finding a person who does the same activities as them and want short-term relationships. The reasoning will be fleshed out in the article Inman gives.

Your task is to test these hypotheses with Hope College students.

See the full 18-item self-monitoring scale (see also Insight #4), if you want to select the best items (increasing construct validity). See also sample dating preference & behavioral items below. Make sure you have items that reflect the specific constructs (importance of beauty, similar activities, similar values, similar attitudes, and monogomy).

Critical words of advice: (1) Ask people in and out of relationships to fill out your survey.

(2) Be sure the response to your dating items can have a FULL RANGE of possible answers (e.g., 1-7) than a yes/no response.

Background Information for Survey Lab: Self-Monitoring and Dating Preferences

            Snyder (1979) identified the personality trait of self-monitoring (the tendency to monitor one's behavior and change one's behavior to the given situation). People high in self-monitoring are particularly responsive to situational and interpersonal cues. T he behavior of people low in self-monitoring typically reflects their attitudes, dispositions, and values. Snyder, Gangestad, & Simpson (1983) found a relationship between self-monitoring and friendships. In their experiment, high and low self-monitors were given a choice between playing tennis with an expert tennis player who was not well liked or playing with a liked friend who was not particularly good at a sport. High self-monitors chose friends who were specialists in the activity at hand. Low self-monitors consistently chose friends who they generally liked (who had similar attitudes). They concluded that high self-monitors choose friends that maximize the fit between their friends and the activity situations. Low self-monitors maximized the fit between their friends and their own personal attributes.

            Snyder and Simpson (1984) examined whether self-monitoring was related to dating tendencies of college students at the University of Minnesota. In their first study, they found high self-monitors preferred to engage in many social activities with opposite-sexed "experts" (other than their current dating partner), whereas low self-monitors preferred to do activities with their current partner. The authors wondered whether highs and lows differ in their degree of commitment when more serious dating relationships are considered. Does the fact that high self-monitors prefer to engage in activities with many "experts" mean they are less committed to their romantic relationships and are more likely to consider other people as replacements for their dating partner? The results of three additional studies suggest so. In Study 2, high self-monitors more readily said they would consider substituting their current dating partner with an opposite-sexed friend. No gender differences emerged. In Study 3, high self-monitors reported dating more different people in the past year and reported having relationships that were shorter in length. Low self-monitors reported dating for nearly twice as long (M=20 months) than highs (M=10.9 months). In sum, Snyder & Simpson reported substantial differences in the dating lives of high and low self-monitors. Snyder did NOT go on to examine commitment, frequency of marital problems, infidelity, or divorce rates of highs and low self-monitors (a topic for additional research).

Simpson, J. (1988). Self-monitoring and commitment to dating relationships: A classroom demonstration. Teaching of Psychology, 15, 31-33.

Your Task:

Things to do/Tasks:

  1. Meet as a group (in class) and identify each person's strengths and tasks.
  2. Discuss the project idea and specify the hypotheses (everyone's input here)
  3. Design the method of the study (manipulation, materials), send materials to Inman

Discuss the way you'll present the info, what you'll say, what you'll do, debriefing, ethics. This complete information is given to Inman on the Pre-Lab Worksheet

  1. Submit your ideas to Inman in writing (Pre-Lab Worksheet--see Web), then wait to get approval & materials from Inman
  2. Collect your data
  3. Analyze/Code the data
  4. Enter the data into a computer file (following Inman's instructions)
  5. Learn of the results with Inman and how you'll present them graphically. If you are shaky on stats and methods, I recommend that you make every effort to attend the meeting with Inman. If you miss this meeting, it's YOUR responsibility to get the info from lab mates who attended.
  6. Prepare a 8-minute (10-slide or so) powerpoint/overhead presentation (see website) decide on speaker roles
  7. EVERYONE completes the Lab worksheet about your study (see web)--individual writing here
  8. EVERYONE has some speaking role in the class presentation.

 

 

 

 

Attitude Survey (smonitoring scale)

1. Participant Gender: 1 = male 2 = female

2. Year in college: 1=freshman, 2=sophomore, 3=junior, 4=senior, 5=5 years or more

For the next set of questions, circle TRUE if the item indicates your tendency most of the time and circle FALSE if you rarely if ever show that tendency. There are no right answers here. Please give your honest opinions. Do you understand the instructions?

At parties and social gatherings, I do NOT attempt to do or say things that others will like.(T=1)(F=2)

I can only argue for ideas which I already believe.(T=1)(F=2)

In different situations and with different people, I often act like very different persons. (T=2)(F=1)

I’m not always the person I appear to be.(T=2)(F=1)

I have NEVER been good at games like charades or improvisational (on the spot) acting.(T=1)(F=2)

I can look anyone in the eye and tell a lie with a straight face (if it is for a good purpose). (T=2)(F=1)

I have considered being an entertainer. (T=2)(F=1)

I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people. (T=1)(F=2)

I have trouble changing my behavior to suit different people in different situations.

            (T=1)(F=2)

I am not particularly good at making other people like me. (T=1)(F=2)

I can make impromptu speeches even on topics about which I have almost no information. (T=1)(F=2)

I guess I put on a show to impress or entertain others. (T=1)(F=2)

I would probably make a good actor. (T=1)(F=2)

In a group of people, I am rarely the center of attention. (T=1)(F=2)

I would not change my opinions (or the way I do things) in order to please someone or win their favor. (T=1)(F=2)

At a party, I let others keep the jokes and stories going. (T=1)(F=2)

I feel a bit awkward in company and do not show up quite as well as I should. (T=1)(F=2)

The next set of questions ask about your dating activities and preferences. Please give only honest responses. Remember your answers are anonymous.

Dating Behaviors:

15a. Do you have a current dating partner whom you have been dating exclusively?

            No = 1 Yes = 2 (if you broke up within the last month, answer yes).

15b. (If yes) How many months have you been dating this partner? ____

15c. (If yes) How would you describe your current relationship with this dating partner?

1=very casual, not at all exclusive

2=somewhat casual

3=slightly causual

4=slightly exclusive

5=somewhat exclusive

6=very exclusive (we only date each other)

16. Think back over the past year. How many different partners have you dated during the past year? ______

Dating Preferences:

For the next set of questions, answer 1 = not at all true of me, 2= slightly 3=somewhat, 4=moderately, 5=extremely true of me.

17. The most critical feature I look for in a potential date is his/her values.

18. The most critical feature I look for in a potential date is that they like to do the same activities that I do.

19. It is extremely important to me that my date be good looking. (

20. When dating someone, I like to keep the relationship casual and not exclusive

21. It is important that my potential dating partner and I have similar attitudes.

22. Ideally, during one calendar year, how many months would you like to date one person exclusively?______