Measures of Interpersonal Attraction: (Old versions)

Abstract

The Measures of Interpersonal Attraction, originally developed by McCroskey and McCain in the early 1970s, represents a foundational instrument in communication and social psychology research. This scale was designed to operationalize the complex construct of attraction by differentiating it into three statistically independent dimensions: Social Attraction, Physical Attraction, and Task Attraction. The initial iterations, often referred to as the “old versions,” typically utilize a multi-item, Likert scale format, allowing respondents to rate their feelings toward a specific target individual.

The primary objective of this measure is to provide researchers with a nuanced tool capable of isolating specific facets of attraction, recognizing that an individual may be highly attractive for task-related reasons (competence) but low in social appeal, or vice versa. The scale has undergone revisions, notably in 2006, but the core 18-item structure remains highly influential for measuring initial perceptions of attraction in various contexts, particularly in communication studies.

Keywords

Interpersonal Attraction, Social Attraction, Physical Attraction, Task Attraction, McCroskey, Communication Studies, Psychological Measurement, Likert Scale, Attraction Scale, Nonverbal Communication

Authors

James C. McCroskey, Thomas A. McCain, L. L. McCroskey, V. P. Richmond

Purpose

The principal purpose of the Measures of Interpersonal Attraction is to systematically quantify the degree and type of attraction felt by a respondent toward a specific target person. The instrument was developed to move beyond a simplistic, unitary view of attraction by providing distinct metrics for different relational needs and contexts.

Specifically, the scale aims to distinguish between the desire for friendship or social interaction (Social Attraction), the perception of aesthetic or sexual desirability (Physical Attraction), and the perceived utility or competence for collaborative work (Task Attraction). This multi-dimensional approach allows for precise empirical investigation into how these factors influence communication behaviors, relational development, and organizational outcomes.

Construct

The scale measures the overarching construct of Interpersonal Attraction, defined here as a positive orientation or predisposition toward another person. This construct is broken down into three distinct, though potentially correlated, sub-constructs, which are assessed using separate sets of items:

• Social Attraction: Reflects the desire for non-task-related interaction, friendship, and general social acceptance of the target individual. Items focus on the potential for personal closeness and inclusion within one’s social circle.
• Physical Attraction: Measures the respondent’s aesthetic evaluation of the target person, encompassing perceived handsomeness, prettiness, sex appeal, and general appearance.
• Task Attraction: Pertains to the perceived utility, competence, dependability, and suitability of the target person as a professional or intellectual partner for achieving goals or completing tasks.

The authors explicitly caution against summing the scores from these three dimensions, emphasizing that they are theoretically and empirically unique facets of attraction.

Validity

While the source content does not detail extensive external validity or construct validity analyses for the initial 1974 version, the continuous use and refinement of the scale over decades suggest its strong face and content validity within the communication discipline. The separation into three distinct factors—Social, Physical, and Task—provides key evidence of construct validity, demonstrating that the items successfully load onto the intended dimensions of attraction.

Later revisions, such as those detailed in McCroskey, McCroskey, & Richmond (2006), were undertaken to improve the measurement properties, further solidifying the scale’s validity through rigorous analytical techniques, ensuring the factors remain distinct and meaningful across various samples.

Reliability

The reliability of the Measures of Interpersonal Attraction is generally considered robust, demonstrating strong internal consistency across its dimensions. For the version analyzed in the literature, the internal reliability, measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, indicates high consistency within each subscale.

Reported reliability statistics based on subsequent analyses of the instrument are as follows:

• Social Attraction: alpha = 0.75
• Physical Attraction: alpha = 0.80
• Task Attraction: alpha = 0.86

These values meet or exceed standard thresholds for acceptable reliability in psychological and communication research, suggesting that the items within each dimension consistently measure the same underlying construct.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the Measures of Interpersonal Attraction is inherently rooted in factor analytic research conducted by McCroskey and McCain. The scale is consistently validated as a multi-dimensional measure, typically yielding three distinct factors corresponding to Social, Physical, and Task Attraction.

The development process involved administering a pool of items designed to tap into various aspects of attraction. Subsequent factor analysis confirmed that attraction is not a single construct but rather a composition of these three independent components. This finding supports the theoretical premise that individuals evaluate others differently based on the context—whether they are seeking a friend, a romantic partner, or a work colleague. The stability of this three-factor structure across different studies reinforces its structural integrity.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire

Format: Multi-item Likert scale (variations use 5-point or 7-point scales). The 18-item version uses a 5-point scale (1=Strongly Disagree to 5=Strongly Agree) for scoring convenience, though earlier versions sometimes employed a 7-point scale.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population, frequently used with students and employees in organizational and communication settings.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically high school age and above).

Population Details: Used to assess perceptions of target persons who may be acquaintances, colleagues, public figures, or hypothetical others.

Test Methodology: Respondents are instructed to use the provided scale (e.g., 1 to 5 or 1 to 7) to indicate their level of agreement or disagreement with statements regarding a specific individual. Items are typically randomized to prevent response bias, and specific items (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, & 18 in the 18-item version) are reverse-coded prior to summation for calculation of the subscale scores.

Keywords

McCroskey scale, Communication theory, Interpersonal attraction dimensions, Organizational communication, Physical attractiveness, Social interaction, Task competence, Psychometrics, Cronbach’s alpha

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source material, typically James C. McCroskey at West Virginia University during development period)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original conceptualization and publication date for this measure is 1974 (based on the article published in Speech Monographs). Earlier presentations date back to 1972. The scale is widely disseminated, particularly through James C. McCroskey’s academic website, suggesting it is generally available for non-commercial academic research use. Researchers are encouraged to consult the author’s official website for the latest usage permissions and recommended versions.

The instrument and related information can be accessed online at the authoritative source: http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/attraction_interpersonal.htm.

Reference’s

McCroskey, J. C., & McCain, T. A. (1972). Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the Western Speech Communication Assn. (Honolulu, November-1972).

McCroskey, J. C., & McCain, T. A. (1974). The measurement of interpersonal attraction. Speech Monographs, 41, 261-266.

McCroskey, L. L., McCroskey, J. C., & Richmond, V. P. (2006). Analysis and improvement of the measurement of interpersonal attraction and homophily, Communication Quarterly, 54, 1-31.

Items of the Measures of Interpersonal Attraction: (Old versions)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

The following items represent one of the standard 18-item versions used for measurement, categorized by dimension:

Social Attraction

1. I think he (she) could be a friend of mine.
2. I would like to have a friendly chat with him (her).
3. It would be difficult to meet and talk with him (her).
4. We could never establish a personal friendship with each other.
5. He (she) just wouldn’t fit into my circle of friends.
6. He (she) would be pleasant to be with.

Physical Attraction

7. I think he (she) is quite handsome (pretty).
8. He (she) is somewhat ugly.
9. He (she) is very sexy looking.
10. I find him (her) very attractive physically.
11. I don’t like the way he (she) looks.
12. He (she) is not very good looking.

Task Attraction

13. He (she) is a typical goof off when assigned a job to do.
14. You could count on her/him getting the job done.
15. I have confidence in his (her) ability to get the job done.
16. If I wanted to get things done I could probably depend on him (her).
17. I couldn’t get anything accomplished with him (her).
18. He/she would not be good to work with.

Scoring Instructions (18-Item Version Example):

Use the following scale and write one number before each statement to indicate your feelings:

7 = Strongly agree; 6 = Moderately agree; 5 = Slightly agree; 4 = Undecided; 3 = Slightly disagree; 2 = Moderately disagree; 1 = Strongly disagree (Note: A 5-point scale is also commonly used, ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree to 5=Strongly Agree).

To compute scores for the 18-item version, recode items 3, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, & 18. Then, add the six items for each form of attraction separately. Scores should range from 6 to 30 for the 5-point scale versions.

• Social Attraction (Items 1-6)
• Physical Attraction (Items 7-12)
• Task Attraction (Items 13-18)

CAUTION: Do not add the scores for these three dimensions to get a total score. These are different dimensions.