ABSTRACT
A simple content analysis of the open-ended material gives essentially the same picture as the quantitative ratings. A partial solution of the interpretive problem consists in showing that Dr. Robert Brown status position is not the exclusive determinant of the subject's evaluation of him. The average liking of William Jones, whose behavior was constant, again runs in the opposite direction, indicating a cognitive contrast effect. The attractiveness of the Moderate Brown lies in between the High and Low. The difference between High and Low, as well as between Moderate and Low, is statistically significant. The qualitative evaluations of Dr. Brown and Jones based on the open-ended verbal material are perfectly consistent with the ratings. When the expressed self-evaluation of a person is higher than the true level in which the subject infers from the person's professional status, the subject tends to evaluate him negatively.
