Seeking and avoiding I contact when subjective overlap appeals and when it repels /

by Long, Anson E.

Previous research demonstrates the positive interpersonal effects of I-sharing (i.e., sharing subjective experiences; Pinel, Long, Landau, Alexander, & Pyszczynski, 2006). In the present research, I examined people?s desire to I-share as a function of the target?s likability, along with three moderators. Study 1 examined the effect of experiential versus rational mindset (Epstein, 1994); Study 2 examined the effect of expectations regarding sharing experiences and the effect of objective similarity. Results support the plausibility of the phenomena of subjective assimilation (i.e., seeking I-sharing) and subjective differentiation (i.e., avoiding I-sharing), and elucidate the roles of the three moderators. iv