To err is humanizing sometimes: Effects of self-esteem, competence, and a pratfall on interpersonal attraction.

Abstract

Studied the effects on liking for a stimulus person in a 3 * 2 * 2 factorial design varying 120 male undergraduates' self-esteem stimulus-person competence, and the presence or absence of a pratfall by the stimulus person. The competent stimulus person with or without a pratfall was found to be significantly more attractive than his incompetent counterpart. However, Ss of average self-esteem found the attractiveness of a competent person enhanced significantly if he experienced a pratfall, while Ss of high and low self-esteem were significantly more attracted to the superior when he did not blunder. A pratfall did not significantly affect liking for the incompetent stimulus person by any of the self-esteem groups. Ss of low self-esteem volunteered at a higher rate for experimentation than those of high or average self-esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)