Degrading situations, affiliation and social dependency

✍ Scribed by Fr. Van Duûren; J. P. di Giacomo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 180 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0046-2772
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0992(199709/10)27:5<495::aid-ejsp826>3.0.co;2-k

✦ Synopsis

Research is reported which shows that degrading situations (e.g. a failure on a test) increase affiliative propensity. Four studies demonstrated that this affiliative tendency of degraded subjects is independent of the potential partner's performance and independent of his/her characteristics. The partners appeared to be equally attractive whether or not they witnessed subject's failure, and whether they were individuals or a group. On the other hand, the affiliative desires of praised subjects seem to be oriented rather towards those who benefit from a similar situation. The motivation underlying affiliative behaviour is discussed with regard to social psychological literature. It is suggested that degraded subjects' affiliative behaviour arises from a search for support and that a socially degrading situation places the subject in a state of emotional dependency which is expressed by a non-directional affiliative tendency and vulnerability to social influence.