Effects of excessive similarity feedback on subsequent mood, pursuit of difference, and preference for novelty or scarcity

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Abstract
A modified replication of Fromkin''s studies was achieved by testing the following hypotheses. Subjects who would receive extreme similarity feedback would (a) feel a stronger negative mood, (b) more strongly desire to be different, and (c) more strongly prefer novel or scarce experiences and commodities to familiar or plentiful ones, as compared to subjects who received moderate similarity feedback. The subjects received bogus test results describing them as either moderately or extremely similar to other participants who had taken the same test. After receiving the feedback, they had a chance to report their mood, desire to be different, and preferences for psychedelic experiences and commodities that were systematically manipulated to be high or low in novelty and unavailability. Hypotheses (a) and (b) were confirmed, but Hypothesis (c) was not supported despite the successful novelty and scarcity manipulations. The significance of the present modification in the manipulation of similarity feedback was discussed in terms of explaining the inconsistency of results between the previous studies and the present research.

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