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Reciprocity of Liking

Reciprocity is a central feature of human relationships. The ethic of reciprocity is espoused by nearly every major religion, and human culture would grind to a halt if people did not routinely exchange goods, services, and other benefits with one another. Reciprocity of liking (also called reciprocity of attraction or reciprocal liking) is a particular type of reciprocity that refers to the tendency for people to like others who express liking for them. Reciprocity of liking is a key principle of attraction; at times, it has even been called a cultural truism. This entry reviews research and theory about reciprocity of liking. Theoretical Explanations Many major social-psychological theories predict the emergence of reciprocity of liking. When our interaction partners like us, they treat us in ways that maximize our rewards and minimize our costs. Interdependence Theory predicts that we will like people with whom we have such gratifying interactions. Indeed, the simple fact that another person likes the self is rewarding because it validates that the self has likable qualities. In addition, people who like us often want to continue interacting with us in the future. Therefore, they may reward us by providing costly support in times of need, assuming that we ourselves might later reciprocate the support. In this sense, liking and helping are linked, and social exchange theo-rists suggest that, because individuals tend to reciprocate helping behaviors, this tendency should extend to the reciprocation of other benefits such as liking. Balance theory, which emphasizes people's desire to maintain a cognitively consistent state, also predicts the emergence of reciprocity, at least for people who like themselves. That is, cognitive consistency is achieved when self-likers like those who like them. Intriguingly, cognitive consistency is also achieved when self-dislikers like people who dislike them. Reciprocal liking should therefore be less pronounced for individuals with low self-esteem, and, in fact, some evidence for this prediction has been found among married couples. Finally, when someone likes us, it signals his or her willingness to provide care and support; Attachment Theory predicts that we will like such supportive individuals and provide care and support for them in turn. There is no shortage of theoretical explanations for the existence of reciprocity of liking. Experimental Evidence Researchers have tackled two central empirical questions regarding reciprocity of liking. The first question is causal: If A expresses liking for B, does this cause B's liking for A to …