Toward a social psychology of diagnosis: Similarity, attraction, and clinical evaluation.

Applied A. Byrne's (1971) similarity–attraction model in 2 studies of diagnostic bias. 56 clinicians and 56 undergraduates evaluated a client similar or dissimilar to themselves in political radicalism after hearing a taped interview with the client. Results for clinicians indicated no similarity–clinical judgment effect, but more radical Ss rated the client as having better therapy potential. Further, the more radical client was rated as less disturbed. Among students, the similar other was rated more favorably for therapeutic criteria. Similarity–attraction relationships were absent in both samples. Clinicians showed strong relationships between clinical and attraction ratings. An interactive, affective component to diagnosis is suggested. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)