Page 68 - Discrimination at Work The Psychological and Organizational Bases

3. RELATIONAL DEMOGRAPHY
type outcomes, such as the formation of ingroups/outgroups, unequal re­
ward allocations, and lack of attraction, trust, fit, and shared identity.
The Similarity-Attraction Paradigm 39
In 1954, the term homophily was introduced in social psychology to refer
to the tendency for individuals to be attracted to others who share simi­
lar personal characteristics (cf. Lazarsfeld & Merton, 1954; Hinds, Carley,
Krackhardt, & Wholey, 2000). These characteristics include attitudes, be­
liefs, and physical attributes. Similarity in this sense is thought to be an
uncertainty reduction mechanism that facilitates individuals' decisions re­
garding group membership and their formations of personal identities.
The phenomenon suggests that people who are similar will want to inter­
act with one another and will share a base of reciprocal trust and affect that
is lacking among dissimilar individuals (Hinds et al., 2000).
Drawing upon these principles, Byrne (1961, 1971) offered a model of
interpersonal attraction and presented a set of variables that were thought
to affect the inclination for individuals to be drawn to one another. The most
important of these variables was perceived similarity. Perceived similarity
to others is said to be important for interpersonal attraction because it
helps individuals to make sense of their environments more effectively by
way of validation (Festinger, 1954; Newcomb, 1961; Rand & Wexley, 1975).
"To the extent that a person offers consensual validation by demonstrating
similarity to us in some way, such an interaction will be perceived as being
rewarding and lead to positive feelings toward this individual" (Rand &
Wexley, 1975, p. 536). Early studies have supported this contention (Baskett,
1973; Golightly, Huffman, & Byrne, 1971; Pulakos & Wexley, 1983; Rand &
Wexley, 1975) and support Byrne's (1961, 1971) paradigm.
Researchers adapted the similarity-attraction paradigm as one theoret­
ical explanation for the effects of relational demography on individual
attitudes and behaviors (e.g., Tsui & O'Reilly, 1989). Demographic char­
acteristics are, for the most part, immediate and highly salient and thus
can strongly affect members' attitudes and perceptions about the group.
Similarity on salient characteristics can draw the group together, favorably
shape members' feelings about the group, and facilitate the interactive pro­
cesses among group members. This is because members who share simi­
lar backgrounds, or are similar in physical and visible characteristics, may
find it easier to interact and cooperate within group settings. Demographic
commonality among members can eliminate much of the need for prereq­
uisite social screening processes that often takes place prior to constructive
behaviors directed toward real progress. For example, a new group con­
sisting of members who are very different from one another, with respect