WHOS GOING TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE - PLURALISTIC IGNORANCE AS AN IMPEDIMENT TO RELATIONSHIP FORMATION

Six studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that individuals con templating 'making the first move' in initiating a romantic relationsh ip experience pluralistic ignorance (N = 544). Studies 1 and 2 establi shed the preconditions for the phenomenon: participants indicated that they were more likely than a potential partner to be inhibited from m aking an initiative by a fear of rejection. Studies 3 and 4 demonstrat ed pluralistic ignorance: although participants explained their own in action in terms of their fear of being rejected, they attributed a pot ential partner's inaction to a lack of interest in developing a relati onship with them. Study 5 utilized an open-ended thought-listing measu re to demonstrate that individuals spontaneously perceive a potential partner's inaction as reflective of disinterest more so than they perc eive their own inaction in these terms. Finally, Study 6 provided more definitive evidence that participants' divergent perceptions of their own vs their potential partner's underlying feelings stemmed from the biased interpretation of inaction. Implications for the formation of social bonds are discussed.