ABSTRACT
Critically reviewing and synthesizing a century’s worth of accumulated research, this chapter demonstrates that there is little evidence to support the generally held “scientific” belief that attitude similarity increases attraction. To the contrary, the great preponderance of evidence indicates that attitude similarity is not a motivating force in most types and stages of relationships. Explanations for the development of this erroneous belief are suggested and the theoretical attempts to reinterpret the research literature are examined. Influences of, and on, communication are featured throughout the chapter. The chapter concludes with an examination of several key communication issues arising from this iconoclastic perspective.
