Abstract
Male subjects learned that they would have to perform an easy, moderately difficult, or very difficult memory task in order to qualify for a “learning session” in which they would be accompanied by a moderately attractive female. Subjective measures taken just prior to task performance indicate that subjects viewed the female target as more attractive, sexy, and cute in the Moderately Difficult task condition than in the Easy and Very Difficult task conditions. Results are discussed in terms of a recently proposed model of motivation (Brehm 1979; Brehm, Wright, Solomon, Silka, & Greenberg, 1983), and research on the relation between difficulty and interpersonal attraction.
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The authors wish to thank Paul Biner, Richard Contrada, and Nancy Denny for making comments on earlier drafts of this article. This research was funded, in part, by Federal Training Grant T32 MH15138-05. Preparation of the manuscript was partially supported by research fellowship funds from the National Institute of Mental Health awarded to the senior author.
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Wright, R.A., Toi, M. & Brehm, J.W. Difficulty and interpersonal attraction. Motiv Emot 8, 327–341 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991871
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991871