Open Collections

Stewart, Jessica

University of British Columbia

Target likeability has been shown to cross contexts and domains and has demonstrated consensus among raters during initial impressions (Wallace & Biesanz, 2021). The present manuscript explores the extent to which likeability is trait-like, indicated by discriminant validity, stability across three decades, and associations with the halo effect, educational attainment, social class, and cardiometabolic risk. We measured likeability using a composite of implicit likeability, estimated using a reduced Social Accuracy Model, and explicit likeability. We used data from a previous study (N = 199 undergraduate targets; N = 211 undergraduate perceivers; N = 268 UK adult perceivers) to examine the extent to which likeability could be explained by well-being and broad personality traits. Between 72.86 - 88.17% of target likeability was unrelated to our predictors, which is consistent with having discriminant validity. This same data found evidence of a halo effect in terms of well-being. The partial correlation between likeability and perceived well-being, controlling for self-reported well-being was r = 0.53 with 95% CI [.38, .65]. Longitudinal data from the National Child Development Study (600 essays written at each age 11 and age 50; N=603 perceivers at age 11 and N=604 perceivers at age 50) found likeability was stable across several decades (r(598) = 0.18 with 95% CI [.10, .26]). We then used 4,432 age 11 essays with corresponding biomarkers to examine whether likeability predicts health and social outcomes. Age 11 likeability predicted educational attainment (𝛽= 0.08, p < 0.001) even after controlling for covariates. Educational attainment also mediated the association between age 11 likeability and social class in middle adulthood (indirect effect = 0.029, 95% CI [0.018, 0.042]). Likeability had a significant correlation with cardiometabolic risk (r = -0.13, df = 3829, p <0.0001); however, the association no longer held when controlling for covariates. Results showed educational attainment mediated the relationship between age 11 likeability and cardiometabolic risk (indirect effect = -0.004, 95% CI [-0.009, -0.002]). These results suggest likeability is a trait with discriminant validity, stability across three decades, and positive downstream outcomes. Future studies should further examine what behaviours increase likeability, specifically in children, to facilitate interventions.

Text

2024-10-24

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89484

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/